Two recombination-dependent DNA replication pathways of bacteriophage T4, and their roles in mutagenesis and horizontal gene transfer.

ABSTRACT: Two major pathways of recombination-dependent DNA replication, "join-copy" and "join-cut-copy," can be distinguished in phage T4: join-copy requires only early and middle genes, but two late proteins, endonuclease VII and terminase, are uniquely important in the join-cut-copy pathway. In wild-type T4, timing of these pathways is integrated with the developmental program and related to transcription and packaging of DNA. In primase mutants, which are defective in origin-dependent lagging-strand DNA synthesis, the late pathway can bypass the lack of primers for lagging-strand DNA synthesis. The exquisitely regulated synthesis of endo VII, and of two proteins from its gene, explains the delay of recombination-dependent DNA replication in primase (as well as topoisomerase) mutants, and the tem

SUBMITTER: Mosig G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC37436 | biostudies-literature | 2001 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature