A RecG-independent nonconservative branch migration mechanism in Escherichia coli recombination.
To gain insight regarding the mechanisms that extend heteroduplex joints in Escherichia coli recombination, we investigated the effect of recG and ruv genotypes on heteroduplex strand polarity in intramolecular recombination products. We also examined the cumulative effect of mutational inactivation of RecG and single-strand-specific exonucleases on recombination proficiency and the role of Chi sites in RecG-independent recombination. All four strands of the two homologs were incorporated into heteroduplex structures in wild-type cells and in ruv mutants. However, in recG mutants heteroduplexes were generated almost exclusively by pairing the invasive 3'-ending strand with its complementary strand. To explain the dependence of strand exchange reciprocity on RecG activity, we propose that alternative mechanisms may extend the heteroduplex joints after homologous pairing: a reciprocal RecG-mediated mechanism and a nonreciprocal mechanism, mediated by RecA and single-strand-specific exonucleases. The cumulative effect of recG and recJ or xonA mutations on recombination proficiency and the inhibitory effect of recJ and xonA activities on heteroduplex formation by the 5'-ending strands are consistent with this proposal.
Friedman-Ohana
R
R
Department of Molecular Biology, The Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel 91010.
Karunker
I
I
Cohen
A
A
D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D001435:Bacteriophages / Q000235:genetics; D004265:DNA Helicases; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D004706:Endodeoxyribonucleases / Q000235:genetics; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics*; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D005090:Exodeoxyribonucleases / Q000235:genetics; D005838:Genotype; D007700:Kinetics; D009154:Mutation; D009692:Nucleic Acid Heteroduplexes; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D013997:Time Factors
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D009692:Nucleic Acid Heteroduplexes; C069806:ruvC protein, E coli; C071446:RecG protein, E coli; D004706:Endodeoxyribonucleases; D005090:Exodeoxyribonucleases; C489467:RecJ protein, E coli; C070765:recJ protein, Bacteria; C028450:exodeoxyribonuclease I; C071059:Holliday junction DNA helicase, E coli; D004265:DNA Helicases