Cox M M
Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin, 433 Babcock Drive, Madison, WI 53706-1544, USA.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2001 Jul 17;98(15):8173-80. doi: 10.1073/pnas.131004998.
For several decades, research into the mechanisms of genetic recombination proceeded without a complete understanding of its cellular function or its place in DNA metabolism. Many lines of research recently have coalesced to reveal a thorough integration of most aspects of DNA metabolism, including recombination. In bacteria, the primary function of homologous genetic recombination is the repair of stalled or collapsed replication forks. Recombinational DNA repair of replication forks is a surprisingly common process, even under normal growth conditions. The new results feature multiple pathways for repair and the involvement of many enzymatic systems. The long-recognized integration of replication and recombination in the DNA metabolism of bacteriophage T4 has moved into the spotlight with its clear mechanistic precedents. In eukaryotes, a similar integration of replication and recombination is seen in meiotic recombination as well as in the repair of replication forks and double-strand breaks generated by environmental abuse. Basic mechanisms for replication fork repair can now inform continued research into other aspects of recombination. This overview attempts to trace the history of the search for recombination function in bacteria and their bacteriophages, as well as some of the parallel paths taken in eukaryotic recombination research.
几十年来，对基因重组机制的研究在对其细胞功能或在DNA代谢中的地位缺乏全面了解的情况下进行。最近，许多研究方向汇聚在一起，揭示了DNA代谢（包括重组）大多数方面的全面整合。在细菌中，同源基因重组的主要功能是修复停滞或崩溃的复制叉。即使在正常生长条件下，复制叉的重组DNA修复也是一个惊人的常见过程。新的研究结果突出了多种修复途径以及许多酶系统的参与。长期以来人们认识到噬菌体T4的DNA代谢中复制与重组的整合，随着其明确的机制先例而备受关注。在真核生物中，在减数分裂重组以及对环境损伤产生的复制叉和双链断裂的修复中也可以看到复制与重组的类似整合。复制叉修复的基本机制现在可以为重组其他方面的持续研究提供参考。本综述试图追溯在细菌及其噬菌体中寻找重组功能的历史，以及真核生物重组研究中所采取的一些平行路径。
