RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Type I-F CRISPR-Cas resistance against virulent phage infection triggers abortive infection and provides population-level immunity JF bioRxiv FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory SP 679308 DO 10.1101/679308 A1 Bridget N.J. Watson A1 Reuben B. Vercoe A1 George P.C. Salmond A1 Edze R. Westra A1 Raymond H.J Staals A1 Peter C. Fineran YR 2019 UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2019/06/21/679308.abstract AB Type I CRISPR-Cas systems are the most abundant and widespread adaptive immune systems of bacteria and can greatly enhance bacterial survival in the face of temperate phage infection. However, it is less clear how these systems protect against virulent phages. Here we experimentally show that type I CRISPR immunity of Pectobacterium atrosepticum leads to rapid suppression of two unrelated virulent phages, ΦTE and ΦM1. However, unlike the case where bacteria are infected with temperate phages, this is the result of an abortive infection-like phenotype, where infected cells do not survive the infection but instead become metabolically inactive and lose their membrane integrity. Our findings challenge the view of CRISPR-Cas as a system that protects the individual cell and supports growing evidence of an Abi-like function for some types of CRISPR-Cas systems.