Homologous pairing in vitro initiated by DNA synthesis.
A number of models have been proposed for the initiation of general genetic recombination. One of these, originally proposed by Meselson and Radding, imagines that the single-stranded 5' tail that results from strand displacement DNA repair synthesis can initiate homologous recombination by invading a homologous duplex. The resultant D-loop intermediate is then processed into mature products. We demonstrate here that an in vitro system composed of the bacteriophage T4 uvsX protein (a RecA-like "strand transferase") and part of the T4 DNA polymerase holoenzyme efficiently mediates pairing between nicked double-stranded circular and linear duplex DNAs, thereby demonstrating the feasibility of a key step in the Meselson-Radding model.
Kodadek
T
T
Department of Chemistry, University of Texas, Austin 78712.
Wong
M L
ML
D004247:DNA / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / Q000378:metabolism*; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D013604:T-Phages / Q000201:enzymology*
D004247:DNA; D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase