Question: Normally multicopy plasmids do not integrate into the chromosome even when they contain considerable DNA sequence homology for recombination. Gutterson and Koshland (1983. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 80: 4894-4898) showed that multicopy plasmids (such as pBR322) readily integrate into the chromosome of polA (encodes DNA polymerase I) mutants. Suggest an explanation for both of these results.