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Updated: Jul 24, 2026

Iterative Optimization of DNA Duplexes for Crystallization of SeqA-DNA Complexes
Published on: November 1, 2012
RecA.oligonucleotide filaments bind in the minor groove of double-stranded DNA
R Baliga1, J W Singleton, P B Dervan
1Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena 91125, USA.
Abstract:
Escherichia coli RecA protein, in the presence of ATP or its analog adenosine 5'-[gamma-thio]triphosphate, polymerizes on single-stranded DNA to form nucleoprotein filaments that can then bind to homologous sequences on duplex DNA. The three-stranded joint molecule formed as a result of this binding event is a key intermediate in general recombination. We have used affinity cleavage to examine this three-stranded joint by incorporating a single thymidine-EDTA.Fe (T*) into the oligonucleotide part of the filament. Our analysis of the cleavage patterns from the joint molecule reveals that the nucleoprotein filament binds in the minor groove of an extended Watson-Crick duplex.
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