CRISPR was first discovered as a defense mechanism in what organism?

Verified step by step guidance

1. CRISPR, which stands for Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats, was first discovered in bacteria.
2. Bacteria use CRISPR as an adaptive immune system to protect themselves against viruses, specifically bacteriophages.
3. When a bacterium survives a viral attack, it incorporates a segment of the viral DNA into its own genome at the CRISPR locus.
4. These incorporated sequences, known as spacers, serve as a genetic memory of past infections.
5. Upon subsequent infections, the CRISPR system uses these spacers to recognize and cut the viral DNA, preventing the virus from replicating.

Key Concepts

CRISPR

CRISPR, or Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats, is a revolutionary technology used for gene editing. It was originally identified as a part of the immune system in certain bacteria, allowing them to recognize and defend against viral infections. This mechanism has been adapted for precise modifications in the genomes of various organisms.

Bacterial Immune System

The bacterial immune system is a collection of mechanisms that bacteria use to protect themselves from phages (viruses that infect bacteria). CRISPR is a key component of this system, where bacteria store segments of viral DNA and use them to recognize and cut the DNA of invading viruses during subsequent infections, thus providing adaptive immunity.

Organism of Discovery

The organism in which CRISPR was first discovered is the bacterium *Streptococcus pyogenes*. This species was pivotal in the identification of the CRISPR-Cas system, which has since been harnessed for various biotechnological applications, including gene editing in plants, animals, and humans.