This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Skaar, E. P.
Right arrow Articles by Seifert, H. S.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Skaar, E. P.
Right arrow Articles by Seifert, H. S.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Journal of Bacteriology, February 2002, p. 919-927, Vol. 184, No. 4
0021-9193/01/$04.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/jb.184.4.919-927.2002
Copyright © 2002, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Roles of the recJ and recN Genes in Homologous Recombination and DNA Repair Pathways of Neisseria gonorrhoeae

Eric P. Skaar, Matthew P. Lazio, and H. Steven Seifert*

Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, Illinois 60611

Received 4 October 2001/ Accepted 14 November 2001

The paradigm of homologous recombination comes from Escherichia coli, where the genes involved have been segregated into pathways. In the human pathogen Neisseria gonorrhoeae (the gonococcus), the pathways of homologous recombination are being delineated. To investigate the roles of the gonococcal recN and recJ genes in the recombination-based processes of the gonococcus, these genes were inactivated in the N. gonorrhoeae strain FA1090. We report that both recN and recJ loss-of-function mutants show decreased DNA repair ability. In addition, the recJ mutant was decreased in pilus-dependent colony morphology variation frequency but not DNA transformation efficiency, while the recN mutant was decreased in DNA transformation efficiency but not pilus-dependent variation frequency. We were able to complement all of these deficiencies by supplying an ectopic functional copy of either recJ or recN at an irrelevant locus. These results describe the role of recJ and recN in the recombination-dependent processes of the gonococcus and further define the pathways of homologous recombination in this organism.


* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Northwestern University Medical School, 303 East Chicago Ave., Chicago, IL 60611. Phone: (312) 503-9788. Fax: (312) 503-1339. E-mail: h-seifert{at}northwestern.edu.


Journal of Bacteriology, February 2002, p. 919-927, Vol. 184, No. 4
0021-9193/01/$04.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/jb.184.4.919-927.2002
Copyright © 2002, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.




This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Sannigrahi, S., Zhang, X., Tzeng, Y.-L. (2009). Regulation of the type I protein secretion system by the MisR/MisS two-component system in Neisseria meningitidis. Microbiology 155: 1588-1601 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Lewis, L. A., Choudhury, B., Balthazar, J. T., Martin, L. E., Ram, S., Rice, P. A., Stephens, D. S., Carlson, R., Shafer, W. M. (2009). Phosphoethanolamine Substitution of Lipid A and Resistance of Neisseria gonorrhoeae to Cationic Antimicrobial Peptides and Complement-Mediated Killing by Normal Human Serum. Infect. Immun. 77: 1112-1120 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Folster, J. P., Johnson, P. J. T., Jackson, L., Dhulipali, V., Dyer, D. W., Shafer, W. M. (2009). MtrR Modulates rpoH Expression and Levels of Antimicrobial Resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae. J. Bacteriol. 191: 287-297 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Wang, G., Maier, R. J. (2009). A RecB-Like Helicase in Helicobacter pylori Is Important for DNA Repair and Host Colonization. Infect. Immun. 77: 286-291 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Pohlhaus, J. R., Long, D. T., O'Reilly, E., Kreuzer, K. N. (2008). The {varepsilon} Subunit of DNA Polymerase III Is Involved in the Nalidixic Acid-Induced SOS Response in Escherichia coli. J. Bacteriol. 190: 5239-5247 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Wang, G., Maier, R. J. (2008). Critical Role of RecN in Recombinational DNA Repair and Survival of Helicobacter pylori. Infect. Immun. 76: 153-160 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Kamal, N., Rouquette-Loughlin, C., Shafer, W. M. (2007). The TolC-Like Protein of Neisseria meningitidis Is Required for Extracellular Production of the Repeats-in-Toxin Toxin FrpC but Not for Resistance to Antimicrobials Recognized by the Mtr Efflux Pump System. Infect. Immun. 75: 6008-6012 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Hill, S. A., Woodward, T., Reger, A., Baker, R., Dinse, T. (2007). Role for the RecBCD Recombination Pathway for pilE Gene Variation in Repair-Proficient Neisseria gonorrhoeae. J. Bacteriol. 189: 7983-7990 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Assalkhou, R., Balasingham, S., Collins, R. F., Frye, S. A., Davidsen, T., Benam, A. V., Bjoras, M., Derrick, J. P., Tonjum, T. (2007). The outer membrane secretin PilQ from Neisseria meningitidis binds DNA. Microbiology 153: 1593-1603 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Kline, K. A., Criss, A. K., Wallace, A., Seifert, H. S. (2007). Transposon Mutagenesis Identifies Sites Upstream of the Neisseria gonorrhoeae pilE Gene That Modulate Pilin Antigenic Variation. J. Bacteriol. 189: 3462-3470 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Stohl, E. A., Seifert, H. S. (2006). Neisseria gonorrhoeae DNA Recombination and Repair Enzymes Protect against Oxidative Damage Caused by Hydrogen Peroxide. J. Bacteriol. 188: 7645-7651 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Wu, H., Jerse, A. E. (2006). {alpha}-2,3-Sialyltransferase Enhances Neisseria gonorrhoeae Survival during Experimental Murine Genital Tract Infection. Infect. Immun. 74: 4094-4103 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Seib, K. L., Wu, H.-J., Kidd, S. P., Apicella, M. A., Jennings, M. P., McEwan, A. G. (2006). Defenses against Oxidative Stress in Neisseria gonorrhoeae: a System Tailored for a Challenging Environment. Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev. 70: 344-361 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Kline, K. A., Seifert, H. S. (2005). Mutation of the priA Gene of Neisseria gonorrhoeae Affects DNA Transformation and DNA Repair. J. Bacteriol. 187: 5347-5355 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Rohrer, M. S., Lazio, M. P., Seifert, H. S. (2005). A real-time semi-quantitative RT-PCR assay demonstrates that the pilE sequence dictates the frequency and characteristics of pilin antigenic variation in Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Nucleic Acids Res 33: 3363-3371 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Kline, K. A., Seifert, H. S. (2005). Role of the Rep Helicase Gene in Homologous Recombination in Neisseria gonorrhoeae. J. Bacteriol. 187: 2903-2907 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Skaar, E. P., LeCuyer, B., Lenich, A. G., Lazio, M. P., Perkins-Balding, D., Seifert, H. S., Karls, A. C. (2005). Analysis of the Piv Recombinase-Related Gene Family of Neisseria gonorrhoeae. J. Bacteriol. 187: 1276-1286 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • van der Woude, M. W., Baumler, A. J. (2004). Phase and Antigenic Variation in Bacteria. Clin. Microbiol. Rev. 17: 581-611 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Moore, T., Sharples, G. J., Lloyd, R. G. (2004). DNA Binding by the Meningococcal RdgC Protein, Associated with Pilin Antigenic Variation. J. Bacteriol. 186: 870-874 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Sebastian, S., Agarwal, S., Murphy, J. R., Genco, C. A. (2002). The Gonococcal Fur Regulon: Identification of Additional Genes Involved in Major Catabolic, Recombination, and Secretory Pathways. J. Bacteriol. 184: 3965-3974 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Stohl, E. A., Blount, L., Seifert, H. S. (2002). Differential cross-complementation patterns of Escherichia coli and Neisseria gonorrhoeae RecA proteins. Microbiology 148: 1821-1831 [Abstract] [Full Text]