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Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America logoLink to Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
. 1990 Nov;87(21):8476–8480. doi: 10.1073/pnas.87.21.8476

Genetic recombination in Escherichia coli: Holliday junctions made by RecA protein are resolved by fractionated cell-free extracts.

B Connolly 1, S C West 1
PMCID: PMC54979  PMID: 2146685

Abstract

Escherichia coli RecA protein catalyzes reciprocal strand-exchange reactions between duplex DNA molecules, provided that one contains a single-stranded gap or tail, to form recombination intermediates containing Holliday junctions. Recombination reactions are thought to occur within helical RecA-nucleoprotein filaments in which DNA molecules are interwound. Structures generated in vitro by RecA protein have been used to detect an activity from fractionated E. coli extracts that resolves the intermediates into heteroduplex recombinant products. Resolution occurs by specific endonucleolytic cleavage at the Holliday junction. The products of cleavage are characteristic of patch and splice recombinants.

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Selected References

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