Impact of CRISPR immunity on the emergence and virulence of bacterial pathogens

CRISPR-Cas systems protect prokaryotes from viruses and plasmids and function primarily as an adaptive immune system in these organisms. Recent discoveries, however, revealed unexpected roles for CRISPR loci as barriers to horizontal gene transfer and as modulators of gene expression. We review how both of these functions of CRISPR-Cas systems can affect the emergence and virulence of human bacterial pathogens.