title: The CRISPR-Cas9 system in Neisseria spp.
abstract: Bacteria and archaea possess numerous defense systems to combat viral infections and other mobile genetic elements. Uniquely among these, CRISPR-Cas (clustered, regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats-CRISPR associated) provides adaptive genetic interference against foreign nucleic acids. Here we review recent advances on the CRISPR-Cas9 system in Neisseria spp, with a focus on its biological functions in genetic transfer, its mechanistic features that establish new paradigms and its technological applications in eukaryotic genome engineering.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D064113:CRISPR-Cas Systems; D018390:Gene Targeting / Q000379:methods; D009343:Neisseria / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics*
keywords: CRISPR-Cas9; Neisseria spp; RNA-guided adaptive interference; genome engineering