Bacteriophage-encoded functions engaged in initiation of homologous recombination events

Abstract

Recombination plays a significant role in bacteriophage biology. Functions promoting recombination are involved in key stages of phage multiplication and drive phage evolution. Their biological role is reflected by the great variety of phages existing in the environment. This work presents the role of recombination in the phage life cycle and highlights the discrete character of phage-encoded recombination functions (anti-RecBCD activities, 5′ → 3′ DNA exonucleases, single-stranded DNA binding proteins, single-stranded DNA annealing proteins, and recombinases). The focus of this review is on phage proteins that initiate genetic exchange. Importance of recombination is reviewed based on the accepted coli-phages T4 and λ models, the recombination system of phage P22, and the recently characterized recombination functions of Bacillus subtilis phage SPP1 and mycobacteriophage Che9c. Key steps of the molecular mechanisms involving phage recombination functions and their application in molecular engineering are discussed.

Keywords::

• Phage
• recombination functions
• anti-RecBCD activity
• Syn/Exo two-component systems
• λ Red
• T4 UvsX
• phage P22 Erf

Declaration of interest: Agnieszka Szczepańska was the recipient of graduate student scholarships from the Ministère Français de l’Education Nationale and the Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics of Polish Academy of Sciences in Poland. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.