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. 1980 May;77(5):2814–2818. doi: 10.1073/pnas.77.5.2814

Recombination genes on the Escherichia coli sex factor specific for transposable elements.

J D Hopkins, M B Clements, T Y Liang, R R Isberg, M Syvanen
PMCID: PMC349495  PMID: 6248868

Abstract

The Escherichia coli sex factor stimulates precise excision of transposons Tn5 and Tn10 from sites either within the bacterial chromosome or within the factor itself. We have isolated two kinds of mutations that affect this activity. The ferA mutations eliminate the stimulation; the ferB mutations enhance it in the presence of FerA+. We conclude that ferA defines a sex factor gene that stimulates precise excision. The ferB mutations also specifically increase the rate of recombination between two IS3 elements on F' lac-pro (F'128) in a reaction that requires the product of recA. The stimulation of this recombination by ferB also requires an active ferA gene, which implies that the ferA gene stimulates this reaction as well as precise excision. A ferA mutation was mapped at 84.2 kilobases on the F factor, and a ferB mutation was mapped at 82.5 kilobases. The fer mutants were obtained by an approach that permits the isolation of mutants affecting precise excision.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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