Alignment of 3 (but Not 4) DNA Strands within a RecA Protein Filament

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

Homologous genetic recombination is required for recombinational DNA repair, is involved in the successful segregation of chromosomes at cell division, and contributes to the generation of genetic diversity in all organisms. In order to recombine, the homologous sequences in two chromosomes must first be aligned. Alignment is preceded in most cases by the processing of one of the chromosomes to generate a region of single-stranded DNA. By mechanisms that are still unclear, a search for homology is then conducted in three dimensions which ends with homologous alignment.