Download MendeleyStructure of the miniature type V-F CRISPR-Cas effector enzyme.
Takeda, S.N., Nakagawa, R., Okazaki, S., Hirano, H., Kobayashi, K., Kusakizako, T., Nishizawa, T., Yamashita, K., Nishimasu, H., Nureki, O.(2021) Mol Cell 81: 558-570.e3
- PubMed: 33333018
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molcel.2020.11.035
- Primary Citation of Related Structures:
7C7L - PubMed Abstract:
RNA-guided DNA endonucleases derived from CRISPR-Cas adaptive immune systems are widely used as powerful genome-engineering tools. Among the diverse CRISPR-Cas nucleases, the type V-F Cas12f (also known as Cas14) proteins are exceptionally compact and associate with a guide RNA to cleave single- and double-stranded DNA targets. Here, we report the cryo-electron microscopy structure of Cas12f1 (also known as Cas14a) in complex with a guide RNA and its target DNA. Unexpectedly, the structure revealed that two Cas12f1 molecules assemble with the single guide RNA to recognize the double-stranded DNA target. Each Cas12f1 protomer adopts a different conformation and plays distinct roles in nucleic acid recognition and DNA cleavage, thereby explaining how the miniature Cas12f1 enzyme achieves RNA-guided DNA cleavage as an "asymmetric homodimer." Our findings augment the mechanistic understanding of diverse CRISPR-Cas nucleases and provide a framework for the development of compact genome-engineering tools critical for therapeutic genome editing.
Organizational Affiliation:
Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
