“Mechanics and execution of homologous recombination studied at the single-molecule level”

Homologous Recombination (HR) is an essential mechanism for the repair of DNA double-strand breaks. We employ a combination of optical tweezers, single-molecule fluorescence microscopy, and microfluidics, to directly visualize RAD51-ssDNA nucleoprotein filaments searching the homologous sequence on a single DNA molecule under tension. We will study the mechanistic role of HR regulators such as Rad51 paralogs, which are crucial intermediates of the process in vivo, yet their function in the DNA sequence alignment remains unknown.