Cloning of the Bacillus subtilis recF gene.

A cloned DNA fragment from the ori region of the Bacillus subtilis chromosome permits three separate recF mutants to grow in the presence of mitomycin C (MC) and survive after ultraviolet (UV) exposure. The recF gene has been localized to a 2.3-kb EcoRI-SalI restriction fragment on the cloned sequences. This fragment directs expression of a 34.7-kDal protein in Escherichia coli maxicells. Cloned DNA containing the recF gene does not complement or rescue recL, recM or spoOJ B. subtilis mutants. The B. subtilis recF gene also does not complement any of several of the E. coli recombination-deficient (Rec-) mutants tested.