A Cas9–guide RNA complex preorganized for target DNA recognition

Bacterial adaptive immunity uses CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats)–associated (Cas) proteins together with CRISPR transcripts for foreign DNA degradation. In type II CRISPR-Cas systems, activation of Cas9 endonuclease for DNA recognition upon guide RNA binding occurs by an unknown mechanism. Crystal structures of Cas9 bound to single-guide RNA reveal a conformation distinct from both the apo and DNA-bound states, in which the 10-nucleotide RNA “seed” sequence required for initial DNA interrogation is preordered in an A-form conformation. This segment of the guide RNA is essential for Cas9 to form a DNA recognition–competent structure that is poised to engage double-stranded DNA target sequences. We construe this as convergent evolution of a “seed” mechanism reminiscent of that used by Argonaute proteins during RNA interference in eukaryotes.