AcrIIA19 binds to the WED domain and inhibits various Cas9 orthologs at multiple stages

초록

Anti-CRISPR (Acr) proteins are natural inhibitors of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)-CRISPR-associated protein (Cas) systems, providing valuable tools for regulating genome editing. Here, we present the crystal structure of AcrIIA19, a plasmid-encoded Type II-A CRISPR-Cas system inhibitor that targets Cas9. AcrIIA19 adopts a previously uncharacterized fold and forms a stable homodimer. Biochemical assays revealed that AcrIIA19 binds selectively to the wedge (WED) domain of Cas9, a conserved structural interface critical for single guide RNA-DNA duplex stabilization and catalysis. This interaction disrupts Cas9 activity at multiple stages, independent of the order of complex assembly. Notably, AcrIIA19 exhibits broad-spectrum inhibition across divergent Cas9 orthologs, including Streptococcus pyogenes and Staphylococcus aureus Cas9, by exploiting a conserved WED domain vulnerability. Our findings establish AcrIIA19 as a versatile Cas9 inhibitor and highlight the WED domain as a strategic target for developing species-agnostic CRISPR regulatory tools in biotechnology and therapeutic applications. © 2025. The Author(s).

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