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Homologous recombination is a major DNA repair process in bacteria. It is also important for producing genetic diversity in bacterial populations, although the process differs substantially from meiotic recombination, which brings about diversity in eukaryotic genomes. Homologous recombination has been most studied and is best understood for Escherichia coli. Double-strand DNA breaks in bacteria are repaired by the RecBCD pathway of homologous recombination. Breaks that occur on only one of DNA's two strands, known as single-strand gaps, are repaired by the RecF pathway. Both the RecBCD and RecF pathways end with a series of reactions known as branch migration and resolution, carried out by the RuvABC protein complex.
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