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  • Title: Exchange of DNA base pairs that coincides with recognition of homology promoted by E. coli RecA protein.
    Author: Folta-Stogniew E, O'Malley S, Gupta R, Anderson KS, Radding CM.
    Journal: Mol Cell; 2004 Sep 24; 15(6):965-75. PubMed ID: 15383285.
    Abstract:
    The unresolved mechanism by which a single strand of DNA recognizes homology in duplex DNA is central to understanding genetic recombination and repair of double-strand breaks. Using stopped-flow fluorescence we monitored strand exchange catalyzed by E. coli RecA protein, measuring simultaneously the rate of exchange of A:T base pairs and the rates of formation and dissociation of the three-stranded intermediates called synaptic complexes. The rate of exchange of A:T base pairs was indistinguishable from the rate of formation of synaptic complexes, whereas the rate of displacement of a single strand from complexes was five to ten times slower. This physical evidence shows that a subset of bases exchanges at a rate that is fast enough to account for recognition of homology. Together, several studies suggest that a mechanism governed by the dynamic structure of DNA and catalyzed by diverse enzymes underlies both recognition of homology and initiation of strand exchange.
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