title: Linear multimer formation of plasmid DNA in Escherichia coli hopE (recD) mutants.
abstract: The hopE mutants of Escherichia coli, which cannot stably maintain a mini-F plasmid during cell division, have mutations in the recD gene coding for subunit D of the RecBCD enzyme (exonuclease V). A large amount of linear multimer DNA of mini-F and pBR322 plasmid accumulates in these hopE mutants. The linear multimers of plasmid DNA in the hopE (recD) mutants accumulate in sbc+ genetic backgrounds and this depends on the recA+ gene function. Linear plasmid multimers also accumulated in a recBC xthA triple mutant, but not an isogenic xth A mutant or an isogenic recBC mutant. The recBC xth A mutant is defective in the conjugative type of recombination. Linear plasmid multimers were not detected in the recBC strain. We propose models to account for linear multimer formation of plasmids in various mutants.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Genetics, Kumamoto University Medical School, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Niki
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ogura
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hiraga
mesh_terms: D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D004265:DNA Helicases / Q000235:genetics*; D004261:DNA Replication; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D043211:Exodeoxyribonuclease V; D005090:Exodeoxyribonucleases / Q000235:genetics*; D005144:F Factor; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D008957:Models, Genetic; D009154:Mutation; D011938:Rec A Recombinases / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D011938:Rec A Recombinases; D005090:Exodeoxyribonucleases; D043211:Exodeoxyribonuclease V; C468322:exodeoxyribonuclease V, E coli; D004265:DNA Helicases