Restriction modification systems as engines of diversity.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Sneppen K
PROVIDER: S-EPMC4451750 | biostudies-literature | 2015
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Publications
Restriction modification systems as engines of diversity.
Sneppen Kim K Semsey Szabolcs S Seshasayee Aswin S N AS Krishna Sandeep S
Frontiers in microbiology 20150602
Restriction modification (RM) systems provide protection against a broad spectrum of phages. However, the likelihood of a phage permanently bypassing this can be as high as 0.1 per infection (Korona et al., 1993) which makes for a relatively weak defense. Here we argue that, apart from providing such transient defenses, RM systems can facilitate long-term coexistence of many bacterial strains. We show that this diversity can be as large as the burst size of the phage but no larger-a curious corr ...[more]
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