A series of new cryo-EM structures reveals a surprising twist in how the RAG complex initiates V(D)J recombination. The initial complex with substrate DNA adopts two conformations: in one, the DNA is relatively undistorted but the scissile phosphate is far from the active site, and in the other the DNA is partially melted and unwound by half a turn, which allows the scissile phosphate to dock into the active site. Similar pre-catalysis DNA melting may occur with other DDE recombinases, for which equivalent complexes with uncleaved substrate DNA are not yet available.
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Dyda, F., Rice, P.A. A new twist on V(D)J recombination. Nat Struct Mol Biol 25, 648–649 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41594-018-0107-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41594-018-0107-8