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Updated: Jun 22, 2026

Single-Molecule Dwell-Time Analysis of Restriction Endonuclease-Mediated DNA Cleavage
Published on: February 7, 2021
Photochemical regulation of restriction endonuclease activity
Douglas D Young1, Jeane M Govan, Mark O Lively
1Department of Chemistry, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA.
Abstract:
Removal by the light: The photochemical regulation of restriction endonucleases, which are important enzymes in molecular biology, has been investigated. Photolabile protecting groups have been installed on DNA substrates and have been demonstrated to inhibit restriction endonuclease activity until removed by UV light irradiation. Interestingly, these groups do not appear to dramatically affect initial binding of the enzyme to the DNA substrate, but rather prevent recognition of the specific cleavage site.
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