nuclease
Sign in to savethumb|Depiction of the restriction enzyme (endonuclease) [[HindIII cleaving a double-stranded DNA molecule at a valid restriction site ().]]
Article
21 sectionsContents
- History
- Numerical Classification System
- Structure
- Site recognition
- Structure specific nuclease
- Sequence specific nuclease
- Endonucleases
- Staggered cutting
- Role in nature
- DNA repair
- Replication proofreading
- Halted replication fork
- Okazaki fragment processing
- Mismatch repair
- Base excision repair
- Nucleotide excision repair
- Double-strand break repair
- Meganucleases
- See also
- References
- External links
thumb|Depiction of the restriction enzyme (endonuclease) [[HindIII cleaving a double-stranded DNA molecule at a valid restriction site ().]]
In biochemistry, a nuclease (also archaically known as nucleodepolymerase or polynucleotidase) is an enzyme capable of cleaving the phosphodiester bonds that link nucleotides together to form nucleic acids. Nucleases variously affect single and double stranded breaks in their target molecules. In living organisms, they are essential machinery for many aspects of DNA repair. Defects in certain nucleases can cause genetic instability or immunodeficiency. Nucleases are also extensively used in molecular cloning.