Restriction enzyme

Restriction Enzyme

Restriction enzymes, also known as restriction endonucleases, are enzymes that cut DNA at or near specific recognition DNA sequences known as restriction sites. These enzymes are found in bacteria and archaea and provide a defense mechanism against invading viruses.

Pronunciation

Res-tric-tion En-zyme

Etymology

The term "restriction enzyme" originates from the concept of "restriction-modification system", a system found in bacteria that restricts the activity of foreign DNA and modifies the host's own DNA to protect it from the restriction enzyme's activity.

Function

Restriction enzymes function by scanning the DNA molecule in the cell for their specific recognition sequence. Once this sequence is found, the enzyme will bind to the DNA and make a cut in both strands of the DNA molecule. This cut can either be "blunt" or "sticky", depending on the enzyme.

Types

There are three main types of restriction enzymes: Type I, Type II, and Type III. Type I and III enzymes cut the DNA at random locations that are a certain distance away from their recognition sequence, while Type II enzymes cut the DNA at specific points within the recognition sequence.

Related Terms

External links

Medical encyclopedia article on Restriction enzyme
Wikipedia's article - Restriction enzyme

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Restriction enzyme