CRISPR-Cas10 Unveils New Antiviral Defense Mechanism

Researchers discover CRISPR-Cas10's ability to halt viral spread by flooding bacteria with toxic molecules.

CRISPR-Cas10 has been found to use a unique antiviral strategy, acting like a molecular fumigator rather than just genetic scissors.
The system generates toxic inosine triphosphate (ITP) that halts bacterial cell activity, preventing viral propagation.
This mechanism sacrifices the infected bacterium to protect the larger bacterial population from phage attacks.
The discovery was made through detailed molecular and structural analysis of the CRISPR-associated protein Cad1.
Potential applications include using ITP presence as a diagnostic tool to indicate pathogen transcripts in samples.