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Journal of Bacteriology, August 2009, p. 4987-4995, Vol. 191, No. 15
0021-9193/09/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JB.00111-09
Copyright © 2009, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

The Extent of Migration of the Holliday Junction Is a Crucial Factor for Gene Conversion in Rhizobium etli {triangledown} ,§

Mildred Castellanos and David Romero*

Programa de Ingeniería Genómica, Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Apartado Postal 565-A, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México

Received 26 January 2009/ Accepted 27 May 2009

Gene conversion, defined as the nonreciprocal transfer of DNA, is one result of homologous recombination. Three steps in recombination could give rise to gene conversion: (i) DNA synthesis for repair of the degraded segment, (ii) Holliday junction migration, leading to heteroduplex formation, and (iii) repair of mismatches in the heteroduplex. There are at least three proteins (RuvAB, RecG, and RadA) that participate in the second step. Their roles have been studied for homologous recombination, but evidence of their relative role in gene conversion is lacking. In this work, we showed the effect on gene conversion of mutations in ruvB, recG, and radA in Rhizobium etli, either alone or in combination, using a cointegration strategy previously developed in our laboratory. The results indicate that the RuvAB system is highly efficient for gene conversion, since its absence provokes smaller gene conversion segments than those in the wild type as well as a shift in the preferred position of conversion tracts. The RecG system possesses a dual role for gene conversion. Inactivation of recG leads to longer gene conversion tracts than those in the wild type, indicating that its activity may hinder heteroduplex extension. However, under circumstances where it is the only migration activity present (as in the ruvB radA double mutant), conversion segments can still be seen, indicating that RecG can also promote gene conversion. RadA is the least efficient system in R. etli but is still needed for the production of detectable gene conversion tracts.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Programa de Ingeniería Genómica, Centro de Ciencias Genómicas-UNAM, Apartado Postal 565-A, 62210 Cuernavaca, Morelos, México. Phone: 52 (777) 3175867. Fax: 52 (777) 3175581. E-mail: dromero{at}ccg.unam.mx

{triangledown} Published ahead of print on 5 June 2009.

§ Supplemental material for this article may be found at http://jb.asm.org/.

Journal of Bacteriology, August 2009, p. 4987-4995, Vol. 191, No. 15
0021-9193/09/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JB.00111-09
Copyright © 2009, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.





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