Cmr1 enables efficient RNA and DNA interference of a III-B CRISPR-Cas system by binding to target RNA and crRNA.
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ABSTRACT: CRISPR-Cas (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats-CRISPR-associated) systems provide adaptive immunity against invasive nucleic acids guided by CRISPR RNAs (crRNAs) in archaea and bacteria. Type III CRISPR-Cas effector complexes show RNA cleavage and RNA-activated DNA cleavage activity, representing the only known system of dual nucleic acid interference. Here, we investigated the function of Cmr1 by genetic assays of DNA and RNA interference activity in the mutants and biochemical characterization of their mutated Cmr complexes. Three cmr1? mutants were constructed including ???1?, ??1?-M1 and ??1?-M2 among which the last two mutants carried a double and a quadruple mutation in the first ?-helix region of Cmr1?. Whereas the double mutation of Cmr1? (W58A and F59A) greatly influenced target RNA capture, the quadruple mutation almost abolished crRNA binding to Cmr1?. We found that Cmr2?-6? formed a stable core complex that is active in both RNA and DNA cleavage and that Cmr1? strongly enhances the basal activity of the core complex upon incorporation into the ribonucleoprotein complex. Therefore, Cmr1 functions as an integral activation module in III-B systems, and the unique occurrence of Cmr1 in III-B systems may reflect the adaptive evolution of type III CRISPR-Cas systems in thermophiles.
SUBMITTER: Li Y
PROVIDER: S-EPMC5737701 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Nov
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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