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Molecular Life Sciences pp 1017–1044Cite as

Recombination: Mechanisms, Pathways, and Applications

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Synopsis

Recombination is a process that brings about reassortment of genetic information in and among chromosomes. Recombination serves several functions in organisms, including DNA repair in bacteria and eukaryotes, and ensures the correct alignment and segregation of chromosomes during meiosis in eukaryotes. Recombination is thought to be important for evolution since it provides new combinations of genes that may give rise to beneficial traits in an organism. Recombination enzymes and pathways are also used in some specialized cellular functions such as the diversification of genes that encode antibody proteins in vertebrates (V(D)J recombination) and telomere maintenance in tumor cells. Homologous recombination relies on complementary DNA sequences to transfer genetic information between identical and nearly identical (homologous) chromosomes. Genetic rearrangements can also occur through site-specific recombination and transposition reactions that are directed by protein-DNA...

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA

    Douglas A. Julin

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  1. Douglas A. Julin
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Correspondence to Douglas A. Julin .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA

    Robert D. Wells

  2. Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA

    Judith S. Bond

  3. University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA

    Judith Klinman

  4. University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA

    Bettie Sue Siler Masters

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Julin, D.A. (2018). Recombination: Mechanisms, Pathways, and Applications. In: Wells, R.D., Bond, J.S., Klinman, J., Masters, B.S.S. (eds) Molecular Life Sciences. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-1531-2_366

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