title: Structural features of Cas2 from Thermococcus onnurineus in CRISPR-cas system type IV.
abstract: CRISPR-Cas is RNA-based prokaryotic immune systems that defend against exogenous genetic elements such as plasmids and viruses. Cas1 and Cas2 are highly conserved components that play an essential part in the adaptation stage of all CRISPR-Cas systems. Characterization of CRISPR-Cas genes in Thermococcus onnurineus reveals the association of the Cas2 gene with the putative type IV system that lacks Cas1 or its homologous genes. Here, we present a crystal structure of T. onnurineus Cas2 (Ton_Cas2) that exhibits a deep and wide cleft at an interface lined with positive residues (Arg16, Lys18, Lys19, Arg22, and Arg23). The obvious DNA recognizing loops in Cas2 from E. coli (Eco_Cas2) are absent in Ton_Cas2 and have significantly different shapes and electrostatic potential distributions around the putative nucleotide binding region. Furthermore, Ton_Cas2 lacks the hairpin motif at the C-terminus that is responsible for Cas1 binding in Eco_Cas2. These structural features could be a unique signature and indicate an altered functional mechanism in the adaptation stage of Cas2 in type IV CRISPR-Cas systems.
authors.affiliation: Disease Target Structure Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon, 305-333, South Korea.|Department of Biological Sciences, KAIST Institute for the Biocentury, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, 305-701, South Korea.
authors.forename: Tae-Yang
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.affiliation: Disease Target Structure Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon, 305-333, South Korea.
authors.forename: Kwang-Hyun
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Disease Target Structure Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon, 305-333, South Korea.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: An
authors.affiliation: Molecular Immunology Laboratory, Shemyakin and Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 117997, Russia.
authors.forename: Alexy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schulga
authors.affiliation: Molecular Immunology Laboratory, Shemyakin and Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 117997, Russia.
authors.forename: Sergey
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Deyev
authors.affiliation: Research Division for Biotechnology, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Jeongeup, 580-185, South Korea.
authors.forename: Jong-Hyun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.affiliation: Disease Target Structure Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon, 305-333, South Korea. ejwoo@kribb.re.kr.|Department of Analytical Bioscience, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon, 305-333, South Korea. ejwoo@kribb.re.kr.
authors.forename: Eui-Jeon
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Woo
mesh_terms: D019843:Archaeal Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*; D064113:CRISPR-Cas Systems; D004720:Endonucleases / Q000737:chemistry*; D000072417:Protein Domains; D019712:Thermococcus / Q000201:enzymology*
chemical_list: D019843:Archaeal Proteins; D004720:Endonucleases
keywords: CRISPR-Cas system; Cas2; Thermococcus onnurineus; protein structure; type IV system