The characterization of the type IV CRISPR system from Aromatoleum aromaticum shows that Csf2 serves as a backbone to which Csf5, Csf3 and Csf1 bind to form CRISPR–ribonucleoprotein complexes. Csf5 (a Cas6 variant) generates CRISPR RNAs with short, 7 nucleotide 5′-repeat tags and stable 3′ hairpin structures.
- Ahsen Özcan
- Patrick Pausch
- Lennart Randau