Document Type
Article
Disciplines
Life Sciences
Abstract
Small RNAs target invaders for silencing in the CRISPR-Cas pathways that protect bacteria and archaea from viruses and plasmids. The CRISPR RNAs (crRNAs) contain sequence elements acquired from invaders that guide CRISPR-associated (Cas) proteins back to the complementary invading DNA or RNA. Here, we have analyzed essential features of the crRNAs associated with the Cas RAMP module (Cmr) effector complex, which cleaves targeted RNAs. We show that Cmr crRNAs contain an 8-nucleotide 5’ sequence tag (also found on crRNAs associated with other CRISPR-Cas pathways) that is critical for crRNA function and can be used to engineer crRNAs that direct cleavage of novel targets. We also present data that indicates that the Cmr complex cleaves an endogenous complementary RNA in Pyrococcus furiosus, providing direct in vivo evidence of RNA targeting by the CRISPR-Cas system. Our findings indicate that the CRISPR RNA-Cmr protein pathway may be exploited to cleave RNAs of interest.
Recommended Citation
Olson, Sara; Resch, Alissa M.; and Graveley, Brenton R., "Essential Features and Rational Design of CRISPR RNAs That Function With the Cas RAMP Module Complex to Cleave RNAs" (2012). UCHC Articles - Research. 164.
https://digitalcommons.lib.uconn.edu/uchcres_articles/164
Comments
Mol Cell. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2013 February 10. Published in final edited form as: Mol Cell. 2012 February 10; 45(3): 292–302. Published online 2012 January 5. doi: 10.1016/j.molcel.2011.10.023 PMCID: PMC3278580 NIHMSID: NIHMS345794