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Volume 153, Issue 7

Deletions of or influence genetic transformation differently and are lethal together with a deletion in Free

Abstract

In prokaryotes, homologous recombination is essential for the repair of genomic DNA damage and for the integration of DNA taken up during horizontal gene transfer. In , the exonucleases RecJ (specific for 5′ single-stranded DNA) and RecBCD (degrades duplex DNA) play important roles in recombination and recombinational double-strand break (DSB) repair by the RecF and RecBCD pathways, respectively. The cloned of partially complemented an mutant, suggesting functional similarity of the enzymes. A Δ mutant of was only slightly altered in transformability and was not affected in UV survival. In contrast, a Δ mutant was UV-sensitive, and had a low viability and altered transformation. Compared to wild-type, transformation with large chromosomal DNA fragments was decreased about 5-fold, while transformation with 1.5 kbp DNA fragments was increased 3.3- to 7-fold. A Δ mutation did not affect transformation, viability or UV resistance. However, double mutants and were non-viable, suggesting that the RecJ DNase or the RecBCD DNase (presumably absent in ) becomes essential for the recombinational repair of spontaneously inactivated replication forks if the other DNase is absent. A model of recombination during genetic transformation is discussed in which the two ends of the single-stranded donor DNA present in the cytoplasm frequently integrate separately and often with a time difference. If replication runs through that genomic region before both ends of the donor DNA are ligated to recipient DNA, a double-strand break (DSB) is formed. In these cases, transformation becomes dependent on DSB repair.

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Keyword(s): DSB, double-strand break; MMR, mismatch repair
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2007-07-01
2026-01-21

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/content/journal/micro/10.1099/mic.0.2007/005256-0
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Deletions of recBCD or recD influence genetic transformation differently and are lethal together with a recJ deletion in Acinetobacter baylyi
Microbiology 153, 2259 (2007); https://doi.org/10.1099/mic.0.2007/005256-0
/content/journal/micro/10.1099/mic.0.2007/005256-0
/content/journal/micro/10.1099/mic.0.2007/005256-0
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