Abstract
The biological arms race generally involves the rapid co-evolution of anti-virus systems in host organisms and of anti-anti-virus systems in their viral parasites. The CRISPR-Cas system is an example of a prokaryotic immune system in which such co-evolution occurs, as was recently demonstrated by the characterization of a set of viral anti-CRISPR proteins.
Highlights
Viruses are mobile genetic elements that rely on infecting cellular organisms for replication and proliferation
The continuous development and adjustment of appropriate infection and resistance strategies results in a rapid co-evolution of viral offence systems and host defense systems. Such a biological arms race implies that never-ending evolution is required for both predator and prey to maintain a constant fitness level; this situation has been described in evolutionary biology as the Red Queen hypothesis [1, 2]
Upon an infection by a previously encountered intruder, the CRISPR memory is expressed as small CRISPR RNAs that guide surveillance complexes to complementary invading nucleic acids, eventually resulting in neutralization of the invasion
Summary
Viruses are mobile genetic elements that rely on infecting cellular organisms (eukaryotes or prokaryotes) for replication and proliferation. This potential threat generates a selective pressure on host organisms to evolve systems that neutralize viral infections. The continuous development and adjustment of appropriate infection and resistance strategies results in a rapid co-evolution of viral offence systems and host defense systems.
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