title: Catalysis of ATP-dependent homologous DNA pairing and strand exchange by yeast RAD51 protein.
abstract: The RAD51 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is required for genetic recombination and DNA double-strand break repair. Here it is demonstrated that RAD51 protein pairs circular viral single-stranded DNA from phi X 174 or M13 with its respective homologous linear double-stranded form. The product of synapsis between these DNA partners is further processed by RAD51 to yield nicked circular duplex DNA, which indicates that RAD51 can catalyze strand exchange. The pairing and strand exchange reaction requires adenosine triphosphate, a result consistent with the presence of a DNA-dependent adenosine triphosphatase activity in RAD51 protein. Thus, RAD51 is a eukaryotic recombination protein that can catalyze the strand exchange reaction.
authors.affiliation: Sealy Center for Molecular Science, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston 77555-1061.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sung
mesh_terms: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism*; D017104:Bacteriophage M13; D010584:Bacteriophage phi X 174; D001482:Base Composition; D002384:Catalysis; D004270:DNA, Circular / Q000378:metabolism*; D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded / Q000378:metabolism*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000378:metabolism*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D051135:Rad51 Recombinase; D051716:Replication Protein A; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins
chemical_list: D004270:DNA, Circular; D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded; D004279:DNA, Viral; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D051716:Replication Protein A; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; C495151:RAD51 protein, S cerevisiae; D051135:Rad51 Recombinase