New clues on the regulation of the CRISPR-Cas immune system.

Research into the CRISPR-Cas immune system of prokaryotes is progressing at a tremendous pace given both its important biological function and its role as a source of new genetic tools. However, a few areas of the field have remained largely unaddressed. A recent report provides information on one such overlooked area: how the cell regulates the CRISPR-Cas immune system. The processes, despite their importance, have remained illusive. In Pectobacterium atrosepticum regulation is, perhaps surprisingly, based on metabolic factors responding to glucose levels in the cell. Regulators include both activators and repressors of cas gene expression. It remains an open question why and how this regulatory system have evolved, and if it is a typical example of how CRISPR-as systems are regulated or not.