Casposase structure and the mechanistic link between DNA transposition and spacer acquisition by CRISPR-Cas. Casposase structure and the mechanistic link between DNA transposition and spacer acquisition by CRISPR-Cas

Key to CRISPR-Cas adaptive immunity is maintaining an ongoing record of invading nucleic acids that are encountered, a process carried out by the Cas1-Cas2 complex that integrates short segments of foreign genetic material (spacers) into the CRISPR locus. It is hypothesized that Cas1 evolved from casposases, a novel class of transposases. We show here that casposase integration in vitro recapitulates several properties of CRISPR-Cas integrases. The X-ray structure of Methanosarcina mazei casposase bound to DNA representing the product of integration reveals a tetramer with target DNA bound snugly between two dimers in which single-stranded casposon end binding resembles that of spacer 3'-overhangs. The differences between transposase and CRISPR-Cas integrase are largely architectural, and it appears that evolutionary change involved changes in protein-protein interactions to favor Cas2 binding over tetramerization and the separation of Cas1 dimers. This, in turn, led to preferred integration of single spacers over two transposon ends. Overall design: Next generation sequencing experiments following casposon integration assay in order to identify / characterize integrations site, motifs and any poteintial off-target sites