Molecular basis for cA6 synthesis by a type III-A CRISPR–Cas enzyme and its conversion to cA4 production

The type III-A (Csm) CRISPR–Cas systems are multi-subunit and multipronged prokaryotic enzymes in guarding the hosts against viral invaders. Beyond cleaving activator RNA transcripts, Csm confers two additional activities: shredding single-stranded DNA and synthesizing cyclic oligoadenylates (cOAs) by the Cas10 subunit. Known Cas10 enzymes exhibit a fascinating diversity in cOA production. Three major forms—cA3, cA4 and cA6have been identified, each with the potential to trigger unique downstream effects. Whereas the mechanism for cOA-dependent activation is well characterized, the molecular basis for synthesizing different cOA isoforms remains unclear. Here, we present structural characterization of a cA6-producing Csm complex during its activation by an activator RNA. Analysis of the captured intermediates of cA6 synthesis suggests a 3′-to-5′ nucleotidyl transferring process. Three primary adenine binding sites can be identified along the chain elongation path, including a unique tyrosine–threonine dyad found only in the cA6-producing Cas10. Consistently, disrupting the tyrosine–threonine dyad specifically impaired cA6 production while promoting cA4 production. These findings suggest that Cas10 utilizes a unique enzymatic mechanism for forming the phosphodiester bond and has evolved distinct strategies to regulate the cOA chain length.