Periodic Reporting for period 4 - REMEMBER (Adaptive immunity in prokaryotes: how Bacteria do not forgive and do not forget their enemies)
Période du rapport: 2019-09-01 au 2020-05-31
Project REMEMBER has made big steps to achieve a solid understanding of the memory formation process in CRISPR-Cas systems. Compared to 5 years ago, the memory formation process is much better understoond. For example we now understand the role of the enigmatic protein Cas4 in memory formation, where it makes sure that a critical DNA sequence called the PAM is selected. This will allow a functional CRISPR response. Furthermore, project remember has uncovered the intimate link between target degradation and the formation of DNA substrates forming CRISPR memories. In addition, we have observed and measured how fast CRISPR complexes carry out their DNA surveillance in the cell in search for mutated and completely matching targets. This finding explains how CRISPR-Cas systems can be incredibly efficient.Lastly we have uncovered how the orientation of of integration of new CRISPR memories in the bacterial genome is achieved. All in all, project REMEMBER has been a great success.