Homologous Recombination at the Molecular Level 347

A B C
5'
3'
A b C
a B c
3'
5'
a b c

A
A

B
C
b
C

B c
b
a
a
A
A

C
b

C
c

B
c

a
a
A
A

A
A

B
B

C
C

b
b

C
C

site 2
c
c

B c B
c

a a
site 1
a

DNA DNA
cleavage cleavage FIGURE 11-3 Holliday junction cleav-
age. Two alternative pairs of DNA sites can
splice or crossover products patch or noncrossover products be cut during resolution. Cleavage at one
reassortment of flanking genes no reassortment pair of sites generates the splice or cross-
A B c A B C over products. Cleavage at the second pair
5' 5'
3' 3' of sites yields the patch or noncrossover
A b c A b C
a B C a B c products. (Inset) A Holliday junction DNA
3' 3' structure. Notice that the DNA is completely
5' 5'
a b C a b c base-paired in this structure.