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Open data
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Basic information
| Entry | ![]() | |||||||||
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| Title | Cas9 ternary complex, 14-nt sgRNA, State I (linear) | |||||||||
Map data | ||||||||||
Sample |
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Keywords | Type II-A CRISPR-associated endonuclease RNA-guided DNA targeting Mg2+ dependent / DNA BINDING PROTEIN | |||||||||
| Function / homology | Function and homology informationmaintenance of CRISPR repeat elements / 3'-5' exonuclease activity / DNA endonuclease activity / defense response to virus / Hydrolases; Acting on ester bonds / DNA binding / RNA binding / metal ion binding Similarity search - Function | |||||||||
| Biological species | Streptococcus pyogenes (bacteria) / synthetic construct (others) | |||||||||
| Method | single particle reconstruction / cryo EM / Resolution: 3.1 Å | |||||||||
Authors | Kiernan KA / Simonovic M | |||||||||
| Funding support | United States, 2 items
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Citation | Journal: Nucleic Acids Res / Year: 2025Title: Structural basis of Cas9 DNA interrogation with a 5' truncated sgRNA. Authors: Kaitlyn A Kiernan / Jieun Kwon / Bradley J Merrill / Miljan Simonović / ![]() Abstract: The efficiency and accuracy of CRISPR-Cas9 targeting varies considerably across genomic targets and remains a persistent issue for using this system in cells. Studies have shown that the use of 5' ...The efficiency and accuracy of CRISPR-Cas9 targeting varies considerably across genomic targets and remains a persistent issue for using this system in cells. Studies have shown that the use of 5' truncated single guide RNAs (sgRNAs) can reduce the rate of unwanted off-target recognition while still maintaining on-target specificity. However, it is not well-understood how reducing target complementarity enhances specificity or how truncation past 15 nucleotides (nts) prevents full Cas9 activation without compromising on-target binding. Here, we use biochemistry and cryogenic electron microscopy to investigate Cas9 structure and activity when bound to a 14-nt sgRNA. Our structures reveal that the shortened path of the displaced non-target strand (NTS) sterically occludes docking of the HNH L1 linker and prevents proper positioning of the nuclease domains. We show that cleavage inhibition can be alleviated by either artificially melting the protospacer adjacent motif (PAM)-distal duplex or providing a supercoiled substrate. Even though Cas9 forms a stable complex with its target, we find that plasmid cleavage is ∼1000-fold slower with a 14-nt sgRNA than with a full-length 20-nt sgRNA. Our results provide a structural basis for Cas9 target binding with 5' truncated sgRNAs and underline the importance of PAM-distal NTS availability in promoting Cas9 activation. | |||||||||
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Structure visualization
| Supplemental images |
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Downloads & links
-EMDB archive
| Map data | emd_45368.map.gz | 32.3 MB | EMDB map data format | |
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| Header (meta data) | emd-45368-v30.xml emd-45368.xml | 18.1 KB 18.1 KB | Display Display | EMDB header |
| FSC (resolution estimation) | emd_45368_fsc.xml | 8.5 KB | Display | FSC data file |
| Images | emd_45368.png | 129.7 KB | ||
| Filedesc metadata | emd-45368.cif.gz | 7 KB | ||
| Others | emd_45368_half_map_1.map.gz emd_45368_half_map_2.map.gz | 59.5 MB 59.5 MB | ||
| Archive directory | http://ftp.pdbj.org/pub/emdb/structures/EMD-45368 ftp://ftp.pdbj.org/pub/emdb/structures/EMD-45368 | HTTPS FTP |
-Validation report
| Summary document | emd_45368_validation.pdf.gz | 802.3 KB | Display | EMDB validaton report |
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| Full document | emd_45368_full_validation.pdf.gz | 801.9 KB | Display | |
| Data in XML | emd_45368_validation.xml.gz | 16.2 KB | Display | |
| Data in CIF | emd_45368_validation.cif.gz | 21.1 KB | Display | |
| Arichive directory | https://ftp.pdbj.org/pub/emdb/validation_reports/EMD-45368 ftp://ftp.pdbj.org/pub/emdb/validation_reports/EMD-45368 | HTTPS FTP |
-Related structure data
| Related structure data | ![]() 9c9pMC ![]() 9cguC M: atomic model generated by this map C: citing same article ( |
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| Similar structure data | Similarity search - Function & homology F&H Search |
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Links
| EMDB pages | EMDB (EBI/PDBe) / EMDataResource |
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| Related items in Molecule of the Month |
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Map
| File | Download / File: emd_45368.map.gz / Format: CCP4 / Size: 64 MB / Type: IMAGE STORED AS FLOATING POINT NUMBER (4 BYTES) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Projections & slices | Image control
Images are generated by Spider. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Voxel size | X=Y=Z: 1.12 Å | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Density |
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| Symmetry | Space group: 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Details | EMDB XML:
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-Supplemental data
-Half map: #2
| File | emd_45368_half_map_1.map | ||||||||||||
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| Density Histograms |
-Half map: #1
| File | emd_45368_half_map_2.map | ||||||||||||
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| Density Histograms |
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Sample components
-Entire : Cas9-sgRNA-dsDNA complex
| Entire | Name: Cas9-sgRNA-dsDNA complex |
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| Components |
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-Supramolecule #1: Cas9-sgRNA-dsDNA complex
| Supramolecule | Name: Cas9-sgRNA-dsDNA complex / type: complex / ID: 1 / Parent: 0 / Macromolecule list: all / Details: bound to a 14-nt sgRNA, linear conformation |
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| Source (natural) | Organism: Streptococcus pyogenes (bacteria) |
| Molecular weight | Theoretical: 213.23 kDa/nm |
-Macromolecule #1: CRISPR-associated endonuclease Cas9/Csn1
| Macromolecule | Name: CRISPR-associated endonuclease Cas9/Csn1 / type: protein_or_peptide / ID: 1 / Number of copies: 1 / Enantiomer: LEVO / EC number: Hydrolases; Acting on ester bonds |
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| Source (natural) | Organism: Streptococcus pyogenes (bacteria) |
| Molecular weight | Theoretical: 158.699844 KDa |
| Recombinant expression | Organism: ![]() |
| Sequence | String: MDKKYSIGLD IGTNSVGWAV ITDEYKVPSK KFKVLGNTDR HSIKKNLIGA LLFDSGETAE ATRLKRTARR RYTRRKNRIC YLQEIFSNE MAKVDDSFFH RLEESFLVEE DKKHERHPIF GNIVDEVAYH EKYPTIYHLR KKLVDSTDKA DLRLIYLALA H MIKFRGHF ...String: MDKKYSIGLD IGTNSVGWAV ITDEYKVPSK KFKVLGNTDR HSIKKNLIGA LLFDSGETAE ATRLKRTARR RYTRRKNRIC YLQEIFSNE MAKVDDSFFH RLEESFLVEE DKKHERHPIF GNIVDEVAYH EKYPTIYHLR KKLVDSTDKA DLRLIYLALA H MIKFRGHF LIEGDLNPDN SDVDKLFIQL VQTYNQLFEE NPINASGVDA KAILSARLSK SRRLENLIAQ LPGEKKNGLF GN LIALSLG LTPNFKSNFD LAEDAKLQLS KDTYDDDLDN LLAQIGDQYA DLFLAAKNLS DAILLSDILR VNTEITKAPL SAS MIKRYD EHHQDLTLLK ALVRQQLPEK YKEIFFDQSK NGYAGYIDGG ASQEEFYKFI KPILEKMDGT EELLVKLNRE DLLR KQRTF DNGSIPHQIH LGELHAILRR QEDFYPFLKD NREKIEKILT FRIPYYVGPL ARGNSRFAWM TRKSEETITP WNFEE VVDK GASAQSFIER MTNFDKNLPN EKVLPKHSLL YEYFTVYNEL TKVKYVTEGM RKPAFLSGEQ KKAIVDLLFK TNRKVT VKQ LKEDYFKKIE CFDSVEISGV EDRFNASLGT YHDLLKIIKD KDFLDNEENE DILEDIVLTL TLFEDREMIE ERLKTYA HL FDDKVMKQLK RRRYTGWGRL SRKLINGIRD KQSGKTILDF LKSDGFANRN FMQLIHDDSL TFKEDIQKAQ VSGQGDSL H EHIANLAGSP AIKKGILQTV KVVDELVKVM GRHKPENIVI EMARENQTTQ KGQKNSRERM KRIEEGIKEL GSQILKEHP VENTQLQNEK LYLYYLQNGR DMYVDQELDI NRLSDYDVDH IVPQSFLKDD SIDNKVLTRS DKNRGKSDNV PSEEVVKKMK NYWRQLLNA KLITQRKFDN LTKAERGGLS ELDKAGFIKR QLVETRQITK HVAQILDSRM NTKYDENDKL IREVKVITLK S KLVSDFRK DFQFYKVREI NNYHHAHDAY LNAVVGTALI KKYPKLESEF VYGDYKVYDV RKMIAKSEQE IGKATAKYFF YS NIMNFFK TEITLANGEI RKRPLIETNG ETGEIVWDKG RDFATVRKVL SMPQVNIVKK TEVQTGGFSK ESILPKRNSD KLI ARKKDW DPKKYGGFDS PTVAYSVLVV AKVEKGKSKK LKSVKELLGI TIMERSSFEK NPIDFLEAKG YKEVKKDLII KLPK YSLFE LENGRKRMLA SAGELQKGNE LALPSKYVNF LYLASHYEKL KGSPEDNEQK QLFVEQHKHY LDEIIEQISE FSKRV ILAD ANLDKVLSAY NKHRDKPIRE QAENIIHLFT LTNLGAPAAF KYFDTTIDRK RYTSTKEVLD ATLIHQSITG LYETRI DLS QLGGD UniProtKB: CRISPR-associated endonuclease Cas9/Csn1 |
-Macromolecule #2: sgRNA
| Macromolecule | Name: sgRNA / type: rna / ID: 2 / Number of copies: 1 |
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| Source (natural) | Organism: synthetic construct (others) |
| Molecular weight | Theoretical: 30.356051 KDa |
| Sequence | String: UAAAGAUGAG ACGCGUUUUA GAGCUAGAAA UAGCAAGUUA AAAUAAGGCU AGUCCGUUAU CAACUUGAAA AAGUGGCACC GAGUCGGUG CUUUU |
-Macromolecule #3: Target strand
| Macromolecule | Name: Target strand / type: dna / ID: 3 / Number of copies: 1 / Classification: DNA |
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| Source (natural) | Organism: synthetic construct (others) |
| Molecular weight | Theoretical: 12.175802 KDa |
| Sequence | String: (DC)(DT)(DA)(DA)(DT)(DC)(DG)(DC)(DC)(DA) (DG)(DC)(DG)(DT)(DC)(DT)(DC)(DA)(DT)(DC) (DT)(DT)(DT)(DA)(DT)(DG)(DC)(DG)(DC) (DC)(DT)(DA)(DC)(DG)(DC)(DA)(DC)(DT)(DG) (DG) |
-Macromolecule #4: Non-target strand
| Macromolecule | Name: Non-target strand / type: dna / ID: 4 / Number of copies: 1 / Classification: DNA |
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| Source (natural) | Organism: synthetic construct (others) |
| Molecular weight | Theoretical: 12.452001 KDa |
| Sequence | String: (DC)(DC)(DA)(DG)(DT)(DG)(DC)(DG)(DT)(DA) (DG)(DG)(DC)(DG)(DC)(DA)(DT)(DA)(DA)(DA) (DG)(DA)(DT)(DG)(DA)(DG)(DA)(DC)(DG) (DC)(DT)(DG)(DG)(DC)(DG)(DA)(DT)(DT)(DA) (DG) |
-Experimental details
-Structure determination
| Method | cryo EM |
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Processing | single particle reconstruction |
| Aggregation state | particle |
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Sample preparation
| Buffer | pH: 7.5 |
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| Vitrification | Cryogen name: ETHANE |
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Electron microscopy
| Microscope | FEI TITAN KRIOS |
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| Specialist optics | Energy filter - Slit width: 20 eV |
| Image recording | Film or detector model: GATAN K3 BIOQUANTUM (6k x 4k) / Average electron dose: 50.0 e/Å2 |
| Electron beam | Acceleration voltage: 300 kV / Electron source: FIELD EMISSION GUN |
| Electron optics | C2 aperture diameter: 100.0 µm / Illumination mode: FLOOD BEAM / Imaging mode: BRIGHT FIELD / Cs: 2.7 mm / Nominal defocus max: 2.5 µm / Nominal defocus min: 1.0 µm / Nominal magnification: 81000 |
| Experimental equipment | ![]() Model: Titan Krios / Image courtesy: FEI Company |
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About Yorodumi




Keywords
Streptococcus pyogenes (bacteria)
Authors
United States, 2 items
Citation



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Processing
FIELD EMISSION GUN

