%0 Journal Article %@ 1878-4186 %A Deep, Amar %A Singh, Latika %A Kaur, Japleen %A Velusamy, Maheshwaran %A Bhardwaj, Pushpanjali %A Singh, Ramandeep %A Thakur, Krishan Gopal %D 2023 %F open:3174 %I Cell Press/Science Direct %J Structure (London, England : 1993) %K DNA mimic; DNA modification; DNA ribosylation; DarTG; Mycobacterium tuberculosis; toxin-antitoxin system; toxin-binding domain %N 7 %P 780-789 %T Structural insights into DarT toxin neutralization by cognate DarG antitoxin: ssDNA mimicry by DarG C-terminal domain keeps the DarT toxin inhibited %U http://crdd.osdd.net/open/3174/ %V 31 %X In the DarTG toxin-antitoxin system, the DarT toxin ADP-ribosylates single-stranded DNA (ssDNA), which stalls DNA replication and plays a crucial role in controlling bacterial growth and bacteriophage infection. This toxic activity is reversed by the N-terminal macrodomain of the cognate antitoxin DarG. DarG also binds DarT, but the role of these interactions in DarT neutralization is unknown. Here, we report that the C-terminal domain of DarG (DarG toxin-binding domain [DarGTBD]) interacts with DarT to form a 1:1 stoichiometric heterodimeric complex. We determined the 2.2 Å resolution crystal structure of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis DarT-DarGTBD complex. The comparative structural analysis reveals that DarGTBD interacts with DarT at the DarT/ssDNA interaction interface, thus sterically occluding substrate ssDNA binding and consequently inactivating toxin by direct protein-protein interactions. Our data support a unique two-layered DarT toxin neutralization mechanism of DarG, which is important in keeping the toxin molecules in check under normal growth conditions. %Z The copyright of this article belongs to Cell Press/Science Direct