Structural basis of RNA-guided transcription by a dCas12f-σ^E-RNAP complex.

ABSTRACT: RNA-guided proteins have emerged as critical transcriptional regulators in both natural and engineered biological systems by modulating RNA polymerase (RNAP) and its associated factors^1-5. In bacteria, diverse clades of repurposed TnpB and CRISPR-associated proteins repress gene expression by blocking transcription initiation or elongation, enabling non-canonical modes of regulatory control and adaptive immunity^1,6,7. Intriguingly, a distinct class of nuclease-dead Cas12f homologs (dCas12f) instead activates gene expression through its association with unique extracytoplasmic function sigma factors (σ^E)⁸, though the molecular basis has remained elusive. Here we reveal a novel mode of RNA-guided transcription initiation by determining cryo-electro

SUBMITTER: Xiao R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12259091 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature