Cited by 60CRISPR and Genetic EngineeringBacterial Genetics and BiotechnologyChromosomal and Genetic Variations

Transposon-encoded nucleases use guide RNAs to promote their selfish spread

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Meers, Chance, Le, Hoang C., Pesari, Sanjana R., Hoffmann, Florian T., Walker, Matt W. G., Gezelle, Jeanine, Tang, Stephen, Sternberg, Samuel H.·2023·Nature

Published version of a preprint

Abstract

Insertion sequences are compact and pervasive transposable elements found in bacteria, which encode only the genes necessary for their mobilization and maintenance 1. IS200- and IS605-family transposons undergo 'peel-and-paste' transposition catalysed by a TnpA transposase 2, but they also encode diverse, TnpB- and IscB-family proteins that are evolutionarily related to the CRISPR-associated effectors Cas12 and Cas9, respectively 3,4. Recent studies have demonstrated that TnpB and IscB function as RNA-guided DNA endonucleases 5,6, but the broader biological role of this activity has remained enigmatic. Here we show that TnpB and IscB are essential to prevent permanent transposon loss as a consequence of the TnpA transposition mechanism. We selected a family of related insertion sequences from Geobacillus stearothermophilus that encode several TnpB and IscB orthologues, and showed that a single TnpA transposase was broadly active for transposon mobilization. The donor joints formed upon religation of transposon-flanking sequences were efficiently targeted for cleavage by RNA-guided TnpB and IscB nucleases, and co-expression of TnpB and TnpA led to substantially greater transposon retention relative to conditions in which TnpA was expressed alone. Notably, TnpA and TnpB also stimulated recombination frequencies, surpassing rates observed with TnpB alone. Collectively, this study reveals that RNA-guided DNA cleavage arose as a primal biochemical activity to bias the selfish inheritance and spread of transposable elements, which was later co-opted during the evolution of CRISPR-Cas adaptive immunity for antiviral defence.

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Crossref · 10.1038/s41586-023-06597-1

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  • The IS200/IS605 family spreads through peel-and-paste transposition catalyzed by homodimeric TnpA interacting with terminal hairpins at the left and right ends of the element.

    “The IS200/IS605 family of MGEs spreads through “peel-and-paste” transposition catalyzed by the homodimeric transposase TnpA interacting with terminal hairpins at the left end (LE) and right end (RE) of the element.”

    From Sequence modeling and design from molecular to genome scale with Evo (2024) · cites this paper as [66]

    In “TnpA catalyses transposon excision and integration” (page unavailable), the paper describes a peel-out-paste-in mechanism, TnpA recognition of DNA hairpins, and LE and RE stem-loop structures required for excision and integration. Our copy does not state that TnpA is homodimeric, so that detail is unsupported. (LLM, conf=0.86)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • IS605 elements contain an RNA-guided TnpB nuclease and a cognate ωRNA that bias selfish inheritance of the transposable element.

    “IS605 elements additionally contain an RNA-guided TnpB nuclease and a cognate ωRNA that bias the selfish inheritance of the transposable element (Fig. 4A) (66–69).”

    From Sequence modeling and design from molecular to genome scale with Evo (2024) · cites this paper as [66]

    The Discussion states that RNA-guided nucleases in IS200/IS605-family transposons promote their retention and spread, and the paper identifies TnpB’s guide as a transposon-encoded ωRNA. But it says these elements *often* carry tnpB or iscB, not that all IS605 elements contain TnpB and a cognate ωRNA. (LLM, conf=0.85)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

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Authors
Meers, C., Le, H. C., Pesari, S. R., Hoffmann, F. T., Walker, M. W. G., Gezelle, J., Tang, S., & Sternberg, S. H.
Affiliations
  • Columbia University (US)
  • University of California San Diego (US)
Corresponding author
Sternberg, Samuel H.
Venue
Nature
Published
2023-09-27
Volume
622
Issue
7984
Pages
863-871
ISSN
  • 0028-0836 (ISSN-L)
  • 1476-4687
OpenAlex
W4387095549
Cited by
60
References
87
Citations by year
2026: 13 · 2025: 19 · 2024: 20 · 2023: 8
FWCI
5.35
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Nature (publishedVersion)
  • bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) (acceptedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • National Science Foundation
  • National Institutes of Health
  • Irving Medical Center, Columbia University
  • National Human Genome Research Institute (DP2HG011650, RM1HG009490)
  • National Institute of General Medical Sciences (F32GM143924, T32GM145440)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › CRISPR and Genetic Engineering
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Bacterial Genetics and Biotechnology
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Plant Science › Chromosomal and Genetic Variations
Keywords
insertion sequences, TnpB, RNA-guided DNA endonuclease, guide RNA, transposon mobility, Bacillus stearothermophilus

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