Bringing the ends together: Cryo-EM structures of mycobacterial Ku in complex with DNA define its role in NHEJ synapsis

Abstract

Non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) is the sole pathway for repairing double-strand breaks in Mycobacterium tuberculosis during dormancy, relying on mycobacterial Ku (mKu) and ligase D, with mKu as the rate-limiting factor. Despite its essential role, the lack of structural information on prokaryotic Ku has hindered understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying bacterial two-component NHEJ machinery. Here, we present the first cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structures of mKu in DNA-bound and higher-order supercomplex forms, revealing a Ku-mediated DNA synapsis mechanism unique to prokaryotes. Integrating cryo-EM with hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry, we define key mKu-m..