Genes involved in transitory recombination between phage M13 and plasmid pHV33

Plasmid pHV33 and phage M13 combine in Escherichia coli cells to form a chimera, which decombines to regenerate two parental genomes. Combination can occur via two genetic pathways, one defined by the recBC genes, the other by recA, recF and possibly recL genes. Decombination can also occur via two pathways, one defined again by the recBC genes, the other by a gene not identified, but active only in the absence of the recL gene product.