title: Synaptic complex revisited; a homologous recombinase flips and switches bases.
abstract: While it is still unclear how RecA and its eukaryotic homologs conduct genome-wide homology searches, Radding and colleagues report in this issue of Molecular Cell (Folta-Stogniew et al., 2004) that the latter stages of homologous recognition or alignment involve base flipping (localized melting) and switching (annealing) at A:T rich regions.
authors.affiliation: Genetics and Biochemistry Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
authors.forename: Oleg N
authors.initials: ON
authors.lastname: Voloshin
authors.forename: R Daniel
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Camerini-Otero
mesh_terms: D015075:2-Aminopurine / Q000378:metabolism; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D020029:Base Pairing; D001483:Base Sequence; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D031541:Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer; D006860:Hydrogen Bonding; D011938:Rec A Recombinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D013569:Synapses / Q000201:enzymology*
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D015075:2-Aminopurine; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D011938:Rec A Recombinases