Influences of ssDNA-RecA Filament Length on the Fidelity of Homologous Recombination.

Chromosomal double-strand breaks can be accurately repaired by homologous recombination, but genomic rearrangement can result if the repair joins different copies of a repeated sequence. Rearrangement can be advantageous or fatal. During repair, a broken double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) is digested by the RecBCD complex from the 5' end, leaving a sequence gap that separates two 3' single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) tails.