Structure of a Type II SMC Wadjet Complex from Neobacillus vireti

Published: 6 May 2025| Version 1 | DOI: 10.17632/8kpf6kb7bh.1
Contributors:
Florian ROISNE-HAMELIN, Hon Wing Liu, Stephan Gruber

Description

Structural Maintenance of Chromosomes complexes are essential DNA-folding motors that facilitate critical cellular functions, including chromosome segregation and DNA repair. Wadjet systems are prokaryotic SMC complexes specialized in cellular immunity against plasmids. Type I Wadjet systems restrict plasmids via a DNA extrusion-cleavage reaction. Two other Wadjet types (II and III) have also been identified, however, their molecular characteristics are unclear. Here, we reconstituted a representative type II Wadjet system from Neobacillus vireti. We show that this system shares substrate selection and cleavage properties with type I but exhibits distinctive structural features, including a long elbow-distal coiled coil, a channel-less hinge, and a tandem KITE subunit. These features help identify the common and distinguishing architectural elements in the family of Wadjet systems and raise intriguing questions about the evolution of prokaryotic SMC complexes.

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Institutions

  • Universite de Lausanne

Categories

Molecular Biology, Protein Purification, Bacterial Genetics, Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis, Agarose Gel Electrophoresis, AlphaFold

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