Explore the vast range of titles available.

Insertion sequence (IS) elements are the simplest autonomous transposable elements found in prokaryotic genomes 1 . We recently discovered that IS110 family elements encode a recombinase and a non-coding bridge RNA (bRNA) that confers modular specificity for target DNA and donor DNA through two programmable loops 2 . Here we report the cryo-electron microscopy structures of the IS110 recombinase in complex with its bRNA, target DNA and donor DNA in three different stages of the recombination reaction cycle. The IS110 synaptic complex comprises two recombinase dimers, one of which houses the target-binding loop of the bRNA and binds to target DNA, whereas the other coordinates the bRNA donor-binding loop and donor DNA. We uncovered the formation of a composite RuvC–Tnp active site that spans the two dimers, positioning the catalytic serine residues adjacent to the recombination sites in both target and donor DNA. A comparison of the three structures revealed that (1) the top strands of target and donor DNA are cleaved at the composite active sites to form covalent 5′-phosphoserine intermediates, (2) the cleaved DNA strands are exchanged and religated to create a Holliday junction intermediate, and (3) this intermediate is subsequently resolved by cleavage of the bottom strands. Overall, this study reveals the mechanism by which a bispecific RNA confers target and donor DNA specificity to IS110 recombinases for programmable DNA recombination. Using cryo-electron microscopy, the structural mechanism by which non-coding bridge RNA confers target and donor DNA specificity to IS110 recombinases for programmable DNA recombination is explored.

The type III-D2 CRISPR-Cas system comprises multiple Cas subunits and a CRISPR RNA, and is likely an evolutionary intermediate between the well-studied type III-A and III-E systems. Here we show that the type III-D2 complex synthesizes two distinct second messengers, SAM-AMP and SAM-AMP 2 , from S -adenosylmethionine (SAM) and ATP in response to target RNA recognition. We determined cryo-electron microscopy structures of the type III-D2 effector complex in different functional states, providing mechanistic insights into target RNA cleavage and second messenger synthesis. The structures reveal how SAM and ATP are recognized by the Cas10 subunit within the effector complex. Furthermore, our biological data suggest that both SAM-AMP and SAM-AMP 2 act on the CorA ancillary effector, inducing growth arrest of infected bacterial cells and thereby conferring immunity. Thus, our study establishes the type III-D2 system as a unique anti-phage defense mechanism that employs both SAM-AMP and SAM-AMP 2 as second messengers, expanding the repertoire of second messenger strategies in bacterial defense systems and highlighting the remarkable functional diversity of CRISPR-Cas systems. CRISPR-Cas systems protect bacteria against viruses and other foreign nucleic acids, sometimes involving second messengers that induce antiviral responses. Here, Mitsuda et al. show that the type III-D2 CRISPR-Cas system recognizes a target RNA and synthesizes two distinct second messengers that trigger growth arrest of bacterial cells, thus conferring immunity.

The type III-D2 CRISPR-Cas system comprises multiple Cas subunits and a CRISPR RNA, and is likely an evolutionary intermediate between the well-studied type III-A and III-E systems. Here we show that the type III-D2 complex synthesizes two distinct second messengers, SAM-AMP and SAM-AMP , from S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) and ATP in response to target RNA recognition. We determined cryo-electron microscopy structures of the type III-D2 effector complex in different functional states, providing mechanistic insights into target RNA cleavage and second messenger synthesis. The structures reveal how SAM and ATP are recognized by the Cas10 subunit within the effector complex. Furthermore, our biological data suggest that both SAM-AMP and SAM-AMP act on the CorA ancillary effector, inducing growth arrest of infected bacterial cells and thereby conferring immunity. Thus, our study establishes the type III-D2 system as a unique anti-phage defense mechanism that employs both SAM-AMP and SAM-AMP as second messengers, expanding the repertoire of second messenger strategies in bacterial defense systems and highlighting the remarkable functional diversity of CRISPR-Cas systems.

Recent studies have revealed that defense-associated reverse transcriptase (DRT) systems mediate antiviral immunity through distinct modes of cDNA synthesis. Class I DRTs catalyze untemplated DNA synthesis with random or nucleotide-biased sequences, whereas Class II DRTs polymerize noncoding RNA-templated products, including concatemeric repeats and homopolymeric cDNA. However, how these distinct modes of cDNA synthesis are employed to drive antiviral defense remains poorly understood. Here, we report an unprecedented mechanism of DRT3 immunity, in which RT enzymes from both Class I and Class II coordinate their diverse activities to produce self-complementary double-stranded DNA (dsDNA). Remarkably, whereas the DRT3a enzyme relies on a 5'-ACACAC-3' RNA template to synthesize long poly-(dTdG) repeats, DRT3b synthesizes precise poly-(dCdA) repeats without any nucleic acid template at all. Cryo-electron microscopy structures reveal that DRT3b assembles into a hexameric complex and employs active site-adjacent residues to function as deoxyadenosine and deoxycytidine gates that enforce alternating addition to produce dinucleotide repeats, representing a unique example of amino acid-templated DNA polymerization. Strikingly, DRT3 immune systems are toxic in a genetic background lacking RecBCD, implicating host recombination machinery in limiting DRT3-mediated dsDNA levels. Consistent with this model, we discovered that the phage-encoded RecBCD inhibitor, Gam, potently triggers DRT3-mediated abortive infection. Collectively, our findings reveal how two polymerases with distinct templating strategies cooperate to generate complementary DNA and drive antiviral defense.

We investigated the response of gastric vessels to prostaglandin (PG) E2 after intra-duodenal release of bile in rats with obstructive jaundice. The animals were divided in four groups according to duration of bile duct obstruction (BDO): control and 1 week (W), 2W, and 3W groups. Prolonged BDO decreased gastric mucosal blood flow (BF) significantly. The BF recovered after the release of BDO in the 1W and 2W groups, but not in the 3W group. BDO decreased PGE2 content in gastric mucosa in the 1W, 2W, and 3W groups. PGE2 decreased vascular perfusion pressure of the isolated stomach in the control and 2W groups, but not in the 3W group. The response of gastric vessels to PGE2 was poor in the 3W group compared with the control and 2W groups. Decreased PGE2 in the gastric mucosa and decreased response of gastric vessels to PGE2 may affect gastric blood flow in obstructive jaundice.