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Molecular basis of single-mismatch-induced nuclease-to-nickase conversion in TIGR-TasH.

Created on 31 Jul 2026

Authors

Ruimin Zhou, Yancheng Zhan, Yangyue Sun, Runqin Wang, Tongyao Wang, Zhikun Liu, Zhengda Shan, Xuzichao Li, Shuqin Zhang, Nan Sun, Heng Zhang, Zhiyong Yuan, Jie Yang

Published in

Nucleic acids research. Volume 54. Issue 14. Jul 17, 2026.

Abstract

Tandem interspaced guide RNA (TIGR)-Tas systems are a distinct class of RNA-guided double-stranded DNA nucleases that employ dual-spacer guide RNAs (tigRNAs) for PAM-independent target recognition. A single mismatch between the tigRNA and target DNA can convert Salicola phage CGphi29 (Sp)TasH from a double-strand nuclease into a nickase in a position-dependent manner, but the molecular basis underlying this functional switch remains unknown. Here, we combined biochemical analyses and cryo-electron microscopy to investigate tigRNA maturation and mismatched target recognition by the Nop domain of SpTasH. We show that the Nop domain is required for pre-tigRNA processing and stabilizes the mature tigRNA through extensive interactions, thereby establishing a cleavage-competent ribonucleoprotein complex. Structural analyses of SpTasH complexes bound to substrates containing single mismatches reveal that a mismatch at the 5'-most position of spacer A is readily accommodated through Nop domain-mediated stabilization of the spacer-target heteroduplex. In contrast, a mismatch proximal to the cleavage site destabilizes the heteroduplex, preventing recruitment of the corresponding HNH domain, thereby converting the complex into a nickase. Together, these findings establish the structural basis for position-dependent mismatch recognition and reveal how Nop domain-mediated tigRNA-target stabilization enables differential responses to mismatches, providing a foundation for engineering TIGR-Tas systems for genome-editing applications.

PMID:
42531075
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 31 Jul 2026.

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