title: Cloning of the recA gene of Bordetella pertussis and characterization of its product.
abstract: A recA gene of Bordetella pertussis was identified in a plasmid library by complementation of a recA mutation in E coli and subcloned as a 2.1-kb Sph I DNA fragment. Southern hybridization experiments showed no similarity to the E coli recA gene, but very strong similarity to other Bordetella species. E coli recA mutant cells containing the B pertussis recA gene at high gene dosage were resistant to DNA-damaging agents such as methyl methane sulfonate or 4-nitroquinoline-N-oxide, displayed induction of SOS functions, and were able to promote DNA recombination, but not induction of phage lambda. The latter phenotype distinguishes the B pertussis recA gene product from the corresponding proteins from most other Gram-negative organisms. Amino acid sequence comparisons revealed a high degree of structural conservation between prokaryotic RecA proteins.
authors.affiliation: Swiss Serum and Vaccine Institute, Berne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Favre
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Cryz
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Viret
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D010582:Bacteriophage lambda / Q000254:growth & development; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D001886:Bordetella pertussis / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004249:DNA Damage / Q000235:genetics; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011938:Rec A Recombinases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D013014:SOS Response, Genetics; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
chemical_list: D011938:Rec A Recombinases