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Diversity of microbial defence systems

Nature Reviews Microbiology volume 20, page 191 (2022)Cite this article

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This month’s Genome Watch highlights the systematic discovery of defence systems, paving the way to decode novel genetic functions and further our understanding of microbial warfare.

Bacteria and archaea are constantly exposed to the rampant invasion by myriad elements such as phages or plasmids, generically known as mobile genetic elements (MGEs). In response, they have evolved diverse, complex defence systems that limit the intrusion of foreign elements along with the influx of new potentially beneficial genes.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, UK

    Adrian Cazares & Daniel Cazares

  2. Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK

    Wendy Figueroa

Authors
  1. Adrian Cazares
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  2. Wendy Figueroa
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  3. Daniel Cazares
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Correspondence to Adrian Cazares.

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Cazares, A., Figueroa, W. & Cazares, D. Diversity of microbial defence systems. Nat Rev Microbiol 20, 191 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41579-022-00702-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41579-022-00702-3

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