Can catalyze the hydrolysis of ATP in the presence of single-stranded DNA, the ATP-dependent uptake of single-stranded DNA by duplex DNA, and the ATP-dependent hybridization of homologous single-stranded DNAs. It interacts with LexA causing its activation and leading to its autocatalytic cleavage. There are two genes for RecA in M.xanthus; recA1 seems less functional than recA2. Belongs to the RecA family.