DNA-damaging agents induce the RecA-independent homologous recombination functions of integrating conjugative elements of the SXT/R391 family.

ABSTRACT: Integrating conjugative elements (ICEs) of the SXT/R391 family are major contributors to the spread of antibiotic resistance genes. These elements also catalyze their own diversity by promoting inter-ICE recombination through the action of the RecA-independent homologous recombination system that they encode. Here, we report that expression of this recombination system, which consists of the single-stranded DNA annealing protein Bet and the exonuclease Exo, is induced by DNA-damaging agents via ICE-encoded transcriptional regulators. We show that the bet and exo genes are part of a large polycistronic transcript that contains many conserved ICE genes that are not involved in the main integration/excision and conjugative transfer processes. We show that although the recombination genes are

SUBMITTER: Garriss G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3624592 | biostudies-literature | 2013 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature