Type III CRISPR systems are unusual in part because they have multiple mechanisms for cleaving nucleic acids, and target both RNA and DNA, but the latter only in a transcription-dependent matter. A 2016 paper from the Bailey lab in Genes and Development filled in key pieces of the puzzle about Type III systems, helping to clarify two major questions: What are the specific RNA and DNA targets of Type III complex? And what mechanisms control and coordinate the RNA and DNA cleavage activities?
Read MoreCRISPR is used by some bacteria to target and destroy DNA and RNA from invading viruses and other sources - but how do they keep from damaging their own DNA?
A recent paper from our lab shows how one type of CRISPR system distinguishes between its own DNA and others.
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