Rapid pairing and subsequent resegregation of distant homologous loci enables double-strand break repair in bacteria

Double-strand breaks (DSBs) can lead to the loss of genetic information and cell death. Consequently, cells in all domains of life have evolved mechanisms to repair DSBs, including through homologous recombination. Although recombination has been well characterized, the spatial organization of this process in living cells remains poorly understood. Here, we introduced site-specific DSBs in Caulobacter crescentus, and then used time-lapse microscopy to visualize the homology search, DSB repair, and the resegregation of chromosomal DNA. Even loci tethered to opposite cell poles can efficiently release, pair to enable recombination-based repair, and then resegregate to their original locations. Resegregation occurs independent of DNA replication and without disrupting global chromosome organization. Origin-proximal regions are resegregated by the same machinery, ParABS, used to segregate undamaged chromosomes following DNA replication. In contrast, origin-distal regions efficiently resegregate after a DSB independent of ParABS, and likely without dedicated segregation proteins. Instead, we propose that a physical, spring-like force drives the resegregation of origin-distal loci after DSB repair.