New bacterial defense mechanism of the CRISPR-Cas system uncovered
Tuesday, July 18, 2017 - 11:52
in Biology & Nature
Researchers have found an unprecedented defense mechanism by which bacteria defend themselves against invading viruses. When the bacterial immune system gets overwhelmed, the CRISPR-Cas system produces a chemical signal that activates a second enzyme which helps in degrading the invaders' genetic material. This process is very similar to an antiviral mechanism of the human innate immune system.