The casposon-encoded Cas1 protein from Aciduliprofundum boonei is a DNA integrase that generates target site duplications.

ABSTRACT: Many archaea and bacteria have an adaptive immune system known as CRISPR which allows them to recognize and destroy foreign nucleic acid that they have previously encountered. Two CRISPR-associated proteins, Cas1 and Cas2, are required for the acquisition step of adaptation, in which fragments of foreign DNA are incorporated into the host CRISPR locus. Cas1 genes have also been found scattered in several archaeal and bacterial genomes, unassociated with CRISPR loci or other cas proteins. Rather, they are flanked by nearly identical inverted repeats and enclosed within direct repeats, suggesting that these genetic regions might be mobile elements ('casposons'). To investigate this possibility, we have characterized the in vitro activities of the putative Cas1 transposase ('casposase') from

SUBMITTER: Hickman AB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4678821 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature