Biomaterial Database

Partial purification and characterization of a recombinase from human cells. 1986

P Hsieh, and M S Meyn, and R D Camerini-Otero

We describe the partial purification and characterization of a human recombinase activity from RPMI 1788 B lymphoblasts. Stoichiometric amounts of recombinase carry out a strand transfer reaction between linear duplex DNA and homologous circular single-strand DNA. The product of strand transfer by the recombinase is a joint molecule composed of a single-strand circle joined to one end of the linear duplex molecule by a region of DNA heteroduplex at least 150 bp long. Formation of DNA heteroduplexes is accompanied by strand displacement. Strand invasion initiates at the ends of the linear duplex. Finally, strand displacement by human recombinase exhibits polarity and proceeds in a 3' to 5' direction. This is the first demonstration of a strand transfer activity from a high eukaryote. We discuss similarities between our recombinase and the RecA and rec1 recombination proteins from E. coli and Ustilago maydis, respectively.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008854	Microscopy, Electron	Microscopy using an electron beam, instead of light, to visualize the sample, thereby allowing much greater magnification. The interactions of ELECTRONS with specimens are used to provide information about the fine structure of that specimen. In TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY the reactions of the electrons that are transmitted through the specimen are imaged. In SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY an electron beam falls at a non-normal angle on the specimen and the image is derived from the reactions occurring above the plane of the specimen.	Electron Microscopy
D009693	Nucleic Acid Hybridization	Widely used technique which exploits the ability of complementary sequences in single-stranded DNAs or RNAs to pair with each other to form a double helix. Hybridization can take place between two complimentary DNA sequences, between a single-stranded DNA and a complementary RNA, or between two RNA sequences. The technique is used to detect and isolate specific sequences, measure homology, or define other characteristics of one or both strands. (Kendrew, Encyclopedia of Molecular Biology, 1994, p503)	Genomic Hybridization,Acid Hybridization, Nucleic,Acid Hybridizations, Nucleic,Genomic Hybridizations,Hybridization, Genomic,Hybridization, Nucleic Acid,Hybridizations, Genomic,Hybridizations, Nucleic Acid,Nucleic Acid Hybridizations
D011938	Rec A Recombinases	A family of recombinases initially identified in BACTERIA. They catalyze the ATP-driven exchange of DNA strands in GENETIC RECOMBINATION. The product of the reaction consists of a duplex and a displaced single-stranded loop, which has the shape of the letter D and is therefore called a D-loop structure.	Rec A Protein,RecA Protein,Recombinases, Rec A
D011995	Recombination, Genetic	Production of new arrangements of DNA by various mechanisms such as assortment and segregation, CROSSING OVER; GENE CONVERSION; GENETIC TRANSFORMATION; GENETIC CONJUGATION; GENETIC TRANSDUCTION; or mixed infection of viruses.	Genetic Recombination,Recombination,Genetic Recombinations,Recombinations,Recombinations, Genetic
D002460	Cell Line	Established cell cultures that have the potential to propagate indefinitely.	Cell Lines,Line, Cell,Lines, Cell
D004247	DNA	A deoxyribonucleotide polymer that is the primary genetic material of all cells. Eukaryotic and prokaryotic organisms normally contain DNA in a double-stranded state, yet several important biological processes transiently involve single-stranded regions. DNA, which consists of a polysugar-phosphate backbone possessing projections of purines (adenine and guanine) and pyrimidines (thymine and cytosine), forms a double helix that is held together by hydrogen bonds between these purines and pyrimidines (adenine to thymine and guanine to cytosine).	DNA, Double-Stranded,Deoxyribonucleic Acid,ds-DNA,DNA, Double Stranded,Double-Stranded DNA,ds DNA
D004254	DNA Nucleotidyltransferases	Enzymes that catalyze the incorporation of deoxyribonucleotides into a chain of DNA. EC 2.7.7.-.	Nucleotidyltransferases, DNA
D004270	DNA, Circular	Any of the covalently closed DNA molecules found in bacteria, many viruses, mitochondria, plastids, and plasmids. Small, polydisperse circular DNA's have also been observed in a number of eukaryotic organisms and are suggested to have homology with chromosomal DNA and the capacity to be inserted into, and excised from, chromosomal DNA. It is a fragment of DNA formed by a process of looping out and deletion, containing a constant region of the mu heavy chain and the 3'-part of the mu switch region. Circular DNA is a normal product of rearrangement among gene segments encoding the variable regions of immunoglobulin light and heavy chains, as well as the T-cell receptor. (Riger et al., Glossary of Genetics, 5th ed & Segen, Dictionary of Modern Medicine, 1992)	Circular DNA,Circular DNAs,DNAs, Circular
D004277	DNA, Single-Stranded	A single chain of deoxyribonucleotides that occurs in some bacteria and viruses. It usually exists as a covalently closed circle.	Single-Stranded DNA,DNA, Single Stranded,Single Stranded DNA
D005656	Fungal Proteins	Proteins found in any species of fungus.	Fungal Gene Products,Fungal Gene Proteins,Fungal Peptides,Gene Products, Fungal,Yeast Proteins,Gene Proteins, Fungal,Peptides, Fungal,Proteins, Fungal