Christelle Chanez

May 10, 2024 | biorxiv.org | Luuk Loeff |David Adams |Christelle Chanez |Sandrine Stutzmann

AbstractSeventh pandemic Vibrio cholerae strains contain two hallmark pathogenicity islands that encode the DNA defense modules DdmABC and DdmDE. Here we use cryo-EM to reveal the mechanistic basis for plasmid defense by DdmDE. A cryo-EM structure of the DdmD helicase-nuclease reveals that it adopts an auto-inhibited dimeric architecture. The prokaryotic Argonaute protein DdmE uses a DNA guide to target plasmid DNA.