Processing of Holliday junctions by RuvABC: An overview
- Clare Hall Labs., South Mimms (United Kingdom)
The past two to three years have seen significant progress in our understanding of the late steps of genetic recombination and the recombinational repair of DNA damage. In particular, studies of the bacterial RuvA, RuvB, and RuvC proteins now provide a biochemical basis for reactions required for the processing of recombination intermediates into recombinant products. This article will provide a brief overview of recent progress. Previous studies showed that the initiation of recombination in E. coli involves the formation of single-stranded DNA, and detailed biochemical studies of the RecA protein of E. coli provide a reasonable understanding of the molecular processes involved in DNA pairing and the formation of a heteroduplex joint by strand exchange. Following the action of RecA protein, recombination intermediates need to be processed into recombinant DNA. First, the joint (or Holliday function) needs to be moved along the DNA to generate tracts of heteroduplex DNA. This process, called branch migration, was thought to be rapid and to occur spontaneously by a process involving rotary diffusion. In the next step, the two interacting DNA molecules need to be separated, and it was thought that cells might contain a specific endonuclease that could target and resolve Holliday junctions.
- Research Organization:
- New York Academy of Sciences, New York, NY (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 134845
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9307221-; TRN: 95:007741-0011
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: DNA damage: effects on DNA structure and protein recognition, Burlington, VT (United States), 31 Jul - 4 Aug 1993; Other Information: PBD: 1994; Related Information: Is Part Of DNA damage: Effects on DNA structure and protein recognition; Wallace, S.S.; Van Houten, B.; Kow, Yoke Wah [eds.]; PB: 395 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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