Detection of novel recombinases in bacteriophage genomes unveils Rad52, Rad51 and Gp2.5 remote homologs.

ABSTRACT: Homologous recombination is a key in contributing to bacteriophages genome repair, circularization and replication. No less than six kinds of recombinase genes have been reported so far in bacteriophage genomes, two (UvsX and Gp2.5) from virulent, and four (Sak, Red beta, Erf and Sak4) from temperate phages. Using profile-profile comparisons, structure-based modelling and gene-context analyses, we provide new views on the global landscape of recombinases in 465 bacteriophages. We show that Sak, Red beta and Erf belong to a common large superfamily adopting a shortcut Rad52-like fold. Remote homologs of Sak4 are predicted to adopt a shortcut Rad51/RecA fold and are discovered widespread among phage genomes. Unexpectedly, within temperate phages, gene-context analyses also pinpointed the pre

SUBMITTER: Lopes A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2896510 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature