CasX enzymes comprise a distinct family of RNA-guided genome editors

Liu, Jun-Jie; Orlova, Natalia; Oakes, Benjamin L.; Ma, Enbo; Spinner, Hannah B.; Baney, Katherine L. M.; Chuck, Jonathan; Tan, Dan; Knott, Gavin J.; Harrington, Lucas B.; Al-Shayeb, Basem; Wagner, Alexander; Broetzmann, Julian; Staahl, Brett T.; Taylor, Kian L.; Desmarais, John; Nogales, Eva; Doudna, Jennifer A.

doi:10.1038/s41586-019-0908-x

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CasX enzymes comprise a distinct family of RNA-guided genome editors

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Wagner, Alexander
Mutschler, Hannes / Biomimetic Systems, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Max Planck Society;

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Liu, J.-J., Orlova, N., Oakes, B. L., Ma, E., Spinner, H. B., Baney, K. L. M., et al. (2019). CasX enzymes comprise a distinct family of RNA-guided genome editors. Nature, 566(7743), 218-223. doi:10.1038/s41586-019-0908-x.

Cite as: https://hdl.handle.net/21.11116/0000-0003-3EEF-C

Abstract

The RNA-guided CRISPR-associated (Cas) proteins Cas9 and Cas12a provide adaptive immunity against invading nucleic acids, and function as powerful tools for genome editing in a wide range of organisms. Here we reveal the underlying mechanisms of a third, fundamentally distinct RNA-guided genome-editing platform named CRISPR-CasX, which uses unique structures for programmable double-stranded DNA binding and cleavage. Biochemical and in vivo data demonstrate that CasX is active for Escherichia coli and human genome modification. Eight cryo-electron microscopy structures of CasX in different states of assembly with its guide RNA and double-stranded DNA substrates reveal an extensive RNA scaffold and a domain required for DNA unwinding. These data demonstrate how CasX activity arose through convergent evolution to establish an enzyme family that is functionally separate from both Cas9 and Cas12a.