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Repeats: 24 – 47 bp; number of repeats per locus: 2 to 249; specific to a given CRISPR
locus and always identical in locus; highly conserved; short (5 – 7bp) palindrome in
larger groups (RNA secondary structure?); terminal repeat degenerate (GAAA) at
3’ end.
Spacers: flanked by 2 consecutive repeats; 26 – 72 bp; of constant and similar length;
always unique; not conserved; spacer sequences show homology to phage
sequences; bacteria acquire new spacers in response to phage predation; lead to
hypothesis that these spacers confer immunity to bacteria
Leader: 200 – 350 bp adjoining 5’ end of 1st repeat; A – T rich and non coding; no
open reading frame, not conserved; may act as a promoter
• CRISPR associated (Cas) genes
• always found adjacent to CRISPR loci
• exact number not known, varies between species
• 6 core Cas genes – Cas1 universal marker of CRISPR system
• sRNAs, when complexed with other Cas proteins, base pair with phage
nucleic acids, causing their degradation
• Similar to Eukaryotic RNA interference (RNAi) defense mechanism
• Phage response: mutation
• “arms race”
• Conclusion: Prokaryotes have evolved a nucleic acid
based immune system where the specificity is
determined by the CRISPR spacer sequence and the
resistance is mediated by the CAS enzymatic
machinery
• More research needed:
• Uncharcterised Cas genes
• How is the spacer acquired?
• What abut lysogeny?
• Do different CRISPR systems have different
functionalities?
• Now a popular study topic in scientific community:
more discoveries expected