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Recombination

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  • First Online:
Encyclopedia of Astrobiology

  • 246 Accesses

Synonyms

Crossing over; DNA recombination

Definition

Recombination is the process by which a new nucleic acid molecule formed by the combination (through covalent joining) of different sequences is obtained. It may involve (1) physical exchange between two duplex DNA homologous molecules (homologous recombination) occurring at any point along their sequence, (2) the covalent joining of two molecules at specific sequences (site-specific recombination) or at unrelated sequences (nonhomologous end joining), and (3) the joining of two different parental sequences by short repeats during replication (copy-choice recombination). Recombination is a major source of genetic variation during meiosis (the process of reductional cellular division in which a diploid cell generates four haploid cells that results in the formation of gametes or spores) in eukaryotes, as well as in the reshuffling (process by which DNA or RNA chimeric forms are generated by a breakage-and-join or template-switching...

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References and Further Reading

  • Michel B, Leach D (n.d.) Homologous recombination-enzymes and pathways. In: Curtiss R III, Kaper JB, Squires CL, Karp PD, Neidhardt FC, Slauch JM (eds) EcoSal-Escherichia coli and Salmonella: cellular and molecular biology. ASM Press, Washington, DC. http://www.ecosal.org

  • Negroni M, Buc H (2001) Mechanisms of retroviral recombination. Annu Rev Genet 35:275–302

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  • Snustad DP, Simmons MJ (2010) Principles of genetics, 5th edn. Wiley, New Jersey

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  • West SC (2003) Molecular views of recombination proteins and their control. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 4:435–445

    Article  Google Scholar 

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Genetics Department Sciences Faculty, University of Malaga, 29071, Malaga, Spain

    Enrique Viguera

Authors
  1. Enrique Viguera
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Enrique Viguera .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Centro de Biología Molecular, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain

    Ricardo Amils

  2. Labo. d'Astrophysique de Bordeaux (LAB), Observatoire Aquitain des Sciences de l'Univers (OASU), Floirac CX, France

    Muriel Gargaud

  3. Centro de Astrobiología (CAB), Inst. Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial, Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid, Spain

    José Cernicharo Quintanilla

  4. Geophysical Lab., Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, USA

    Henderson James Cleaves

  5. Astronomy Department, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA

    William M. Irvine

  6. Dépt. Sc. de la Terre et de l’Atmosphère, Université du Québec, Montréal, Montreal, Québec, Canada

    Daniele Pinti

  7. Centre National d'Etudes Spatiale (CNES) DPI/E2U, Paris CX, France

    Michel Viso

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© 2014 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Viguera, E. (2014). Recombination. In: Amils, R., et al. Encyclopedia of Astrobiology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_1351-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_1351-4

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-27833-4

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Physics and AstronomyReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Chemistry, Materials and Physics

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