The sequence of 366 nucleotides between the C-terminal trailer region of recA and the N-terminal leader region of alaS is presented. This sequence reveals an open reading frame of 166 codons we have named oraA. An NdeI restriction nuclease cleavage site also revealed by the sequence was used to clone, map and sequence three recA mutations: recA11, recA12 and recA52. A mutation in recA (recA946), was discovered in strains originally reported to contain recH166. The relation between recA946 and recH166 is unclear.