Mycobacterium leprae RecA is structurally analogous but functionally distinct from Mycobacterium tuberculosis RecA protein

► M. leprae RecA protein (MlRecA) is purified to homogeneity and characterized. ► Functional studies indicate that MlRecA is different from M. tuberculosis RecA. ► M. leprae RecA promoted strand exchange is inversely proportional to the GC content. ► These results suggest DNA-sequence dependent differences in RecA-ssDNA filaments.