MARKER-DEPENDENT RECOMBINATION IN T4 BACTERIOPHAGE. I. OUTLINE OF THE PHENOMENON AND EVIDENCE SUGGESTING A MISMATCH REPAIR MECHANISM

V. P. Shcherbakov 1, L. A. Plugina 1, E. A. Kudryashova 1, O. I. Efremova 1, S. T. Sizova 1, and Oleg G. Toompuu 2

1 Institute of Chemical Physics, Academy of Sciences of the U.S.S.R., Chernogolovka 142432, Moscow Region, U.S.S.R.
2 Institute of Experimental Biology, Academy of Sciences of the Estonian S.S.R., Harku 203051, Estonia, U.S.S.R.

In standard crosses, some rIIB mutants of T4 phage were found to be susceptible to an extra recombination mechanism to which the other mutants were much less susceptible. The following observations were interpreted as evidence for the mismatch-repair nature of the phenomenon: (1) Marker-dependent recombination generates exclusively double exchanges at both sides of the marker. (2) Marker-dependent recombination is highly sensitive to DNA base sequence at the site of the marker and to that at the corresponding site on the chromosome of the other parent. (3) Within certain limits, the contribution of the marker-dependent mechanism to the total recombination frequency is distance-independent and thus constitutes a constant component.

Submitted on August 20, 1981
Accepted on June 2, 1982




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