The P22 Erf protein and host RecA provide alternative functions for transductional segregation of plasmid-borne duplications

Mol Gen Genet. 1998 Jul;259(1):39-45. doi: 10.1007/s004380050786.

Abstract

A tandem DNA duplication carried on a ColE1-derived plasmid segregates at high frequency upon generalized transduction by phage P22 HT. Transductional segregation of the plasmid-borne duplication can be promoted either by RecA or by the Erf function of P22, indicating that transductional segregation is a consequence of the recombination events that re-circularize the plasmid in the recipient cell. RecA-mediated and Erf-mediated transduction give similar frequencies of duplication segregation and yield the same types of segregation products, indicating that two distinct recombination machineries (RecA + RecBCD and Erf + RecBCD) perform similar or identical recombination reactions on plasmid DNA substrates transduced by bacteriophage P22 HT.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Bacteriophage P22 / genetics
  • Bacteriophage P22 / physiology*
  • DNA Replication
  • Endoplasmic Reticulum
  • Plasmids / genetics*
  • Plasmids / isolation & purification
  • Plasmids / physiology
  • Rec A Recombinases / metabolism*
  • Recombination, Genetic / physiology
  • Salmonella typhimurium / genetics
  • Salmonella typhimurium / virology
  • Transduction, Genetic / physiology*

Substances

  • Rec A Recombinases