Homologous Recombination at the Molecular Level 345

a
A B C
5'
3'
aligned A B C
homologous
duplexes
a b c
3'
5'
a b c

top duplex

b T T
B C
5' A
3' T
B C

bottom duplex
a b c
3'
5' T C
a b c
G
T
strand
invasion 2nd strand
c invasion

B C
1st strand
invasion
b C
Holliday
junction
a B c
3' 3'
5'
a b c

branch heteroduplex
migration

T T
d
B C
G T

b C
heteroduplex hybrid
a B c duplexes
3' 3'
5' T C
a b c

A T

F I G U R E 11-2 Holliday model through the steps of branch migration. The small arrow-
heads on the DNA single strands point in the 50 -to-30 direction. Note that A and a, B and b,
and C and c specify different alleles and have slightly different DNA sequences. Therefore, hetero-
duplex DNA containing those genes (shown in the expanded section in panel d) will have some
mismatches.