Classification and Nomenclature of CRISPR-Cas Systems: Where from Here?
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Implication
Review highlights challenges in classifying diverse CRISPR-Cas systems across microbes, suggesting multipronged frameworks to standardize nomenclature.
Key Points
- Summarize the current landscape of CRISPR-Cas classification and establish rational nomenclature guidelines to accommodate the rapid discovery and evolutionary diversity of these systems.
- Assessed existing classification frameworks based on Cas protein sequences, gene composition, and the architecture of genomic loci.
- Identified primary obstacles to systematic taxonomy, focusing on rapid evolutionary divergence, frequent module shuffling, and the absence of universal phylogenetic markers.
- Determined that high sequence variability and modular recombination prevent the use of a single universal marker for evolutionary categorization.
- Advocated for a multipronged classification strategy combining locus architecture, signature Cas proteins, and sequence homology to guide future nomenclature.
Cite This Study
Makarova et al. (2018) studied this question.