Abstract
Summary: A transcriptional fusion of the recE gene to a reporter gene has been constructed. Expression of recE was found to be induced upon damage to DNA with either mitomycin C or nalidixic acid. This specific transcriptional induction is blocked by a recE mutation. Mutations affecting the recB, recF and recL gene products markedly reduced induction. However, de‐repression of recE seems to be independent of the ATP‐dependent DNase activity of the exonuclease V enzyme (also called AddAB enzyme).