Abstract
After the degradation of its inhibitor securin, separase initiates chromosome segregation during the metaphase-to-anaphase transition by cleaving cohesin. Here we present a density map at a resolution of 25 Å of negatively stained separase–securin complex. Based on labeling data and sequence analysis, we propose a model for the structure of separase, consisting of 26 ARM repeats, an unstructured region of 280 residues and two caspase-like domains, with securin binding to the ARM repeats.
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Acknowledgements
We thank S.C. Harrison for critical reading of the manuscript. This work was supported by US National Institutes of Health grants GM62580 (to T.W.), GM039023-18 (to M.W.K.) and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (Emmy Noether) and Human Frontier Science Program (to O.S.). H.V. was a fellow of the Damon-Runyon Cancer Research Fund.
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Supplementary information
Supplementary Fig. 1
Biochemical characterization. (PDF 2498 kb)
Supplementary Fig. 2
Electron microscopy and three-dimensional reconstruction. (PDF 2294 kb)
Supplementary Fig. 3
Multiple sequence alignment. (PDF 519 kb)
Supplementary Fig. 4
Loop prediction. (PDF 682 kb)
Supplementary Fig. 5
Sequence analysis. (PDF 1021 kb)
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Viadiu, H., Stemmann, O., Kirschner, M. et al. Domain structure of separase and its binding to securin as determined by EM. Nat Struct Mol Biol 12, 552–553 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/nsmb935
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nsmb935
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