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| Title | Structural basis for Cas9-directed spacer acquisition in type II-A CRISPR-Cas systems. |
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| Journal, issue, pages | Mol Cell, Vol. 86, Issue 5, Page 805-816.e4, Year 2026 |
| Publish date | Mar 5, 2026 |
Authors | Zhaoxing Li / Yutao Li / Jianping Kong / Qianqian Wu / Pingping Huang / Yu Zhang / Wanqian Wu / Meirong Chen / Yongfeng Liu / HanFeng Lin / Liqiu Hou / Gongyu Liu / Ting Zeng / Yutong He / Chunyi Hu / Zhenhuang Yang / Meiling Lu / Min Luo / Yibei Xiao / ![]() |
| PubMed Abstract | CRISPR-Cas systems confer prokaryotic immunity by integrating foreign DNA (prespacers) into host arrays. Type II-A systems employ Cas9 for protospacer-adjacent motif (PAM) recognition and coordinate ...CRISPR-Cas systems confer prokaryotic immunity by integrating foreign DNA (prespacers) into host arrays. Type II-A systems employ Cas9 for protospacer-adjacent motif (PAM) recognition and coordinate with Csn2 and the Cas1-Cas2 integrase during spacer acquisition, yet their structural basis remains unresolved. Here, we report cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structures of the Enterococcus faecalis Cas9-Csn2-Cas1-Cas2 supercomplex in apo and DNA-bound states. The apo state (Cas9₂-Csn2₈-Cas1₈-Cas2₄) is a resting complex, while DNA binding forms a prespacer-catching complex threading DNA through Csn2's channel, enabling Cas9 to interrogate the PAM sequence while sliding along the DNA. Cas9 and Csn2 jointly define a 30-bp DNA segment matching the prespacer length. Cas9 dissociation triggers structural reconfiguration of the Csn2-Cas1-Cas2 assembly. This exposes the PAM-proximal DNA, allowing Cas1-Cas2 to bind the exposed site for subsequent prespacer processing and directional integration. These findings reveal how Cas9, Csn2, and Cas1-Cas2 couple PAM recognition with prespacer selection, ensuring fidelity during adaptation. |
External links | Mol Cell / PubMed:41702404 |
| Methods | EM (single particle) |
| Resolution | 2.96 - 3.9 Å |
| Structure data | EMDB-65106, PDB-9vj8: EMDB-65107: Raw consensus map of Type II-A CRISPR integrase prespacer catching complex, State I EMDB-65108, PDB-9vja: EMDB-65109, PDB-9vjb: |
| Chemicals | ![]() ChemComp-CA: |
| Source |
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Keywords | DNA BINDING PROTEIN / CRISPR / Cas9 / Cas1 / Cas2 / Csn2 / DNA BINDING PROTEIN/DNA/RNA / Csn2 DNA binding protein / DNA BINDING PROTEIN-DNA-RNA complex / DNA BINDING PROTEIN/DNA / DNA BINDING PROTEIN-DNA complex |
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