The CRISPR associated protein Cas4 Is a 5' to 3' DNA exonuclease with an iron-sulfur cluster.
The Cas4 protein is one of the core CRISPR-associated (Cas) proteins implicated in the prokaryotic CRISPR system for antiviral defence. Cas4 is thought to play a role in the capture of new viral DNA sequences for incorporation into the host genome. No biochemical activity has been reported for Cas4, but it is predicted to include a RecB nuclease domain. We show here that Cas4 family proteins from the archaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus utilise four conserved cysteine residues to bind an iron-sulfur cluster in an arrangement reminiscent of the AddB nuclease of Bacillus subtilis. The Cas4 family protein Sso0001 is a 5' to 3' single stranded DNA exonuclease in vitro that is stalled by extrahelical DNA adducts. A role for Cas4 in DNA duplex strand resectioning to generate recombinogenic 3' single stranded DNA overhangs is proposed. Comparison of the AddB structure with that of a related bacterial nuclease from Eubacterium rectales reveals that the iron-sulfur cluster can be replaced by a zinc ion without disrupting the protein structure, with implications for the evolution of iron-sulfur binding proteins.
Biomedical Sciences Research Complex, University of St Andrews, Fife, United Kingdom.
Jing
J
Zhang
Taciana
T
Kasciukovic
Malcolm F
MF
White
D019843:Archaeal Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002850:Chromatography, Gel; D005090:Exodeoxyribonucleases / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D007506:Iron-Sulfur Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D010802:Phylogeny; D048229:Sulfolobus solfataricus / Q000201:enzymology
D019843:Archaeal Proteins; D007506:Iron-Sulfur Proteins; D005090:Exodeoxyribonucleases