Twisting and Untwisting a Single DNA Molecule Covered by RecA Protein

We study dsDNA-RecA interactions by exerting forces in the pN range on single DNA molecules while the interstrand topological state is controlled owing to a magnetic tweezers setup. We show that unwinding a duplex DNA molecule induces RecA polymerization even at moderate force. Once initial polymerization has nucleated, the extent of RecA coverage still depends on the degree of supercoiling: exerting a positive or negative torsional constraint on the fiber forces partial depolymerization, with a strikingly greater stability when ATPγS is used as a cofactor instead of ATP. This nucleofilament's sensitivity to topology might be a way for the bacterial cell to limit consumption of precious RecA monomers when DNA damage is addressed through homologous recombination repair.