Molecular basis for inhibition of type III-B CRISPR-Cas by an archaeal viral anti-CRISPR protein

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Despite a wide presence of type III clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats, CRISPR-associated (CRISPR-Cas) in archaea and bacteria, very few anti-CRISPR (Acr) proteins inhibiting type III immunity have been identified, and even less is known about their inhibition mechanism. Here, we present the discovery of a type III CRISPR-Cas inhibitor, AcrIIIB2, encoded by Sulfolobus virus S. islandicus rod-shaped virus 3 (SIRV3). AcrIIIB2 inhibits type III-B CRISPR-Cas immune response to protospacers encoded in middle/late-expressed viral genes. Investigation of the interactions between S. islandicus type III-B CRISPR-Cas Cmr-α-related proteins and AcrIIIB2 reveals that the Acr does not bind to Csx1 but rather interacts with the Cmr-α effector complex. Furthermore, in vitro assays demonstrate that AcrIIIB2 can block the dissociation of cleaved target RNA from the Cmr-α complex, thereby inhibiting the Cmr-α turnover, thus preventing host cellular dormancy and further viral genome degradation by the type III-B CRISPR-Cas immunity.

Original languageEnglish
JournalCell Host and Microbe
Volume31
Issue number11
Pages (from-to)1837-1849.e5
Number of pages19
ISSN1931-3128
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2023

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 Elsevier Inc.

    Research areas

  • Acr inhibition mechanism, anti-CRISPR, CRISPR-Cas turnover, type III CRISPR

ID: 372810596