Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 8, 2026

Substrate Generation for Endonucleases of CRISPR/Cas Systems
Published on: September 8, 2012
Diversity and evolution of class 2 CRISPR-Cas systems
Sergey Shmakov1,2, Aaron Smargon3,4, David Scott3
1Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Skolkovo Innovation Center, Skolkovo 143025, Russia.
Abstract:
Class 2 CRISPR-Cas systems are characterized by effector modules that consist of a single multidomain protein, such as Cas9 or Cpf1. We designed a computational pipeline for the discovery of novel class 2 variants and used it to identify six new CRISPR-Cas subtypes. The diverse properties of these new systems provide potential for the development of versatile tools for genome editing and regulation. In this Analysis article, we present a comprehensive census of class 2 types and class 2 subtypes in complete and draft bacterial and archaeal genomes, outline evolutionary scenarios for the independent origin of different class 2 CRISPR-Cas systems from mobile genetic elements, and propose an amended classification and nomenclature of CRISPR-Cas.
Related Concept Videos
CRISPR and crRNAs
The CRISPR-Cas system stores a copy of foreign DNA in the host genome and uses it to identify the foreign DNA upon reinfection. CRISPR-Cas has three different...
The Antiviral System of Bacteria and Archaea: CRISPR
CRISPR
CRISPR/Cas9 Genome Editing
Homologous Recombination
Cis-regulatory Sequences

