Nuclease lobe of Cas9 CRISPR protein, illustration. Cas9 is part of the CRISPR adaptive immune system used by bacteria and archaea to combat foreign nucleic acids. When these organisms encounter viral DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid), the CRISPR system copies and inserts segments of invading nucleic acid between sets of repeating DNA CRISPR spacers in its own genome. The spacers allows a set of Cas (CRISPR-associated) proteins to identify and destroy the same viral DNA in the future if the pathogen is encountered again. Cas9 is a single-chain protein of 1368 amino acids folded into two lobes. The nuclease lobe is composed of two catalytic domains that break apart foreign DNA. The HNH domain (green) cuts the targeted DNA strand, and the RuvC domain (blue) cuts the non-targeted strand. The helical lobe of Cas9 (grey), which includes several domains of its own, appears to target and position the Cas9 DNA and RNA (ribonucleic acid) substrates. | |
Lizenzart: | Lizenzpflichtig |
Credit: | Science Photo Library / GREG WILLIAMS |
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