title: Distinguishing characteristics of hyperrecombinogenic RecA protein from Pseudomonas aeruginosa acting in Escherichia coli.
abstract: In Escherichia coli, a relatively low frequency of recombination exchanges (FRE) is predetermined by the activity of RecA protein, as modulated by a complex regulatory program involving both autoregulation and other factors. The RecA protein of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (RecA(Pa)) exhibits a more robust recombinase activity than its E. coli counterpart (RecA(Ec)). Low-level expression of RecA(Pa) in E. coli cells results in hyperrecombination (an increase of FRE) even in the presence of RecA(Ec). This genetic effect is supported by the biochemical finding that the RecA(Pa) protein is more efficient in filament formation than RecA K72R, a mutant protein with RecA(Ec)-like DNA-binding ability. Expression of RecA(Pa) also partially suppresses the effects of recF, recO, and recR mutations. In concordance with the latter, RecA(Pa) filaments initiate recombination equally from both the 5' and 3' ends. Besides, these filaments exhibit more resistance to disassembly from the 5' ends that makes the ends potentially appropriate for initiation of strand exchange. These comparative genetic and biochemical characteristics reveal that multiple levels are used by bacteria for a programmed regulation of their recombination activities.
authors.affiliation: Division of Molecular and Radiation Biophysics, Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Gatchina/St. Petersburg 188300, Russia.
authors.forename: Dmitry M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Baitin
authors.forename: Irina V
authors.initials: IV
authors.lastname: Bakhlanova
authors.forename: Yury V
authors.initials: YV
authors.lastname: Kil
authors.forename: Michael M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Cox
authors.forename: Vladislav A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Lanzov
mesh_terms: D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded / Q000235:genetics; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D009154:Mutation; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011938:Rec A Recombinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011995:Recombination, Genetic / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; C081006:RecO protein, E coli; C489318:RecR protein, E coli; C476430:SSB protein, E coli; C489340:recF protein, E coli; D011938:Rec A Recombinases