FIG. 3.

Alignment of the B31-MI erpA/N and erpP genes with the reported sequence of the clone 53 ospE₅₃-3 gene (labeled 53-3). Identical nucleotides are indicated by asterisks. The site of the DNA strand exchange event that would have given rise to ospE₅₃-3 is indicated by a shaded box. ospE₅₃-3 is identical to erpA/N 5′ of this location and identical to erpP 3′ of this site. The location of the DNA strand exchange event that gave rise to the novel PCR artifactual chimera generated during the present studies is indicated by an unshaded box. The DNA sequences complementary to PCR oligonucleotides are indicated by arrows above or below the sequence, with arrowheads indicating their 5′-to-3′ direction.