Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 16, 2026

Gene Digital Circuits Based on CRISPR-Cas Systems and Anti-CRISPR Proteins
Published on: October 18, 2022
Protein Inhibitors of CRISPR-Cas9
1Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Quantitative Biosciences Institute, University of California, San Francisco , San Francisco, California 94143, United States.
Abstract:
Bacteria are under constant predation from viruses, called bacteriophages (phages). This threat has driven the evolution of multiple defense systems, including the CRISPR-Cas (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats and CRISPR associated genes) immune pathway. Phages are not passive bystanders in their CRISPR-mediated demise, however, as many have developed potent protein inhibitors of the bacterial adaptive immune system. Here, I review the work that led to the discovery of many distinct "anti-CRISPR" proteins. Furthermore, I outline how understanding their mechanisms of action has provided a suite of specific and high-affinity reagents to modulate and study CRISPR-Cas applications.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
CRISPR/Cas9 Genome Editing
CRISPR
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
RNA Interference
This process occurs naturally in cells, often through the activity of genomically-encoded microRNAs. Researchers can take advantage of this mechanism by introducing synthetic RNAs to deactivate specific genes for research or therapeutic purposes. For example, RNAi could be used...

