Molecular cloning of a recA-like gene of Methylophilus methylotrophus and identification of its product.

A recombinant plasmid, pPF5, has been constructed which contains a 5.5-kb fragment of Methylophilus methylotrophus DNA inserted into pAT153, and which confers resistance to UV and mitomycin C (MC) upon Escherichia coli recA mutants. Hybridisation analysis indicates that sequence homology exists between the cloned DNA and a fragment of E. coli chromosomal DNA that contains the recA gene. Tn1000 insertions have been isolated within pPF5 that inactivate its ability to complement recA mutations, and the site of each insertion has been determined by restriction mapping. A 36-kDa protein is synthesised by pPF5 but not by any of the Tn1000 derivatives, indicating that this protein is the product of the gene responsible for the complementation. Comparison of the size of truncated polypeptides produced by selected pPF5::Tn1000 derivatives with the position of the insertion sites of the transposon, gave the direction of transcription of the M. methylotrophus recA+ gene. SOS proteins are induced in E. coli recA mutants harbouring pPF5 following MC treatment.