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Updated: Sep 11, 2026

Rapid and Specific Detection of Acinetobacter baumannii Infections Using a Recombinase Polymerase Amplification/Cas12a-based System
Published on: April 25, 2025
Architecture of a DNA-guided Cas12a
Rodrigo Fregoso Ocampo1,2, Carlos Orosco3, Boyu Huang3
1Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
Abstract:
CRISPR-Cas systems have largely been restricted to RNA-guided nucleases. Here, we present the cryo-electron microscopy structure of Acidaminococcus sp. Cas12a bound to a pseudo-DNA (ΨDNA) guide and RNA target, revealing how Cas12a can accomplish DNA-guided RNA recognition. The ΨDNA hairpin bridges the recognition and nuclease lobes, mimicking a PAM-proximal duplex and positioning the spacer to allow formation of a canonical RNA-DNA heteroduplex along the recognition lobe. This provides a structural framework for its activity and provides a potential blueprint for future engineering.
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