Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 28, 2026
09:53
Single-Molecule Dwell-Time Analysis of Restriction Endonuclease-Mediated DNA Cleavage
Published on: February 7, 2021
1.8K
Type II restriction endonucleases--a historical perspective and more
Alfred Pingoud1, Geoffrey G Wilson2, Wolfgang Wende3
1Institute of Biochemistry, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Heinrich-Buff-Ring 58, D-35392 Giessen, Germany alfred.m.pingoud@chemie.bio.uni-giessen.de.
Nucleic Acids Research
|June 1, 2014
Summary
Restriction enzymes (REases) are crucial prokaryotic tools for DNA analysis and cloning. This review details Type II REase biochemistry, mechanism, and structural diversity, highlighting their impact on molecular biology.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Molecular Biology
- Genetics
Background:
- Restriction endonucleases (REases) are prokaryotic enzymes that defend against bacteriophages.
- Type II REases specifically recognize and cleave DNA sequences, forming the basis of molecular biology techniques.
Observation:
- This article reviews the biochemistry of Type II REases, focusing on their discovery, properties, and mechanisms.
- It covers sequence recognition, catalysis, and oligomeric states of these enzymes.
Findings:
- Type II REases exhibit surprising sequence and structural heterogeneity.
- Their discovery revolutionized DNA analysis, cloning, genetics, and biotechnology.
Implications:
- Understanding REase mechanisms enables advanced genetic engineering and synthetic biology.
- The widespread availability and application of REases continue to drive innovation in life sciences research.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:11Restriction Enzymes
31.2K
Restriction enzymes are bacterial enzymes used to cut DNA in a sequence-specific manner. To cleave DNA, they bind to specific palindromic sequences called restriction sites. Such palindromic DNA sequences or inverted repeats are commonly found in regions of functional significance, such as the origin of replication, gene operator sites, and regions containing transcription termination signals.
The host bacteria protect their own genomic DNA from these enzymes by methylating these sites. Some...
The host bacteria protect their own genomic DNA from these enzymes by methylating these sites. Some...
31.2K
02:53Conservative Site-specific Recombination and Phase Variation
5.7K
Because the DNA segments are cut and reorganized in a direction-specific manner, site-specific recombination has emerged as an efficient genetic engineering technique. Flippase and Cyclization recombinases or Flp and Cre, respectively, are two members of the tyrosine recombinase family derived from bacteriophages, that are used to mediate site-specific DNA insertions, deletions, and targeted expression of proteins in mammalian cell lines.
The recognition sites for Cre recombinase called LoxP...
The recognition sites for Cre recombinase called LoxP...
5.7K
02:53CRISPR and crRNAs
14.6K
Bacteria and archaea are susceptible to viral infections just like eukaryotes; therefore, they have developed a unique adaptive immune system to protect themselves. Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats and CRISPR-associated proteins (CRISPR-Cas) are present in more than 45% of known bacteria and 90% of known archaea.
The CRISPR-Cas system stores a copy of foreign DNA in the host genome and uses it to identify the foreign DNA upon reinfection. CRISPR-Cas has three different...
The CRISPR-Cas system stores a copy of foreign DNA in the host genome and uses it to identify the foreign DNA upon reinfection. CRISPR-Cas has three different...
14.6K
01:28Inhibitors of Bacterial DNA Synthesis
125
Bacterial pathogens depend on precise and efficient DNA replication to sustain infection. Two type II topoisomerases—DNA gyrase and topoisomerase IV—are critical to this process, as they resolve DNA supercoiling and unlink chromosomes during replication. Fluoroquinolones, synthetic derivatives of quinolones, exploit this mechanism by stabilizing the transient DNA–enzyme cleavage complex, preventing strand religation, and causing lethal double-strand breaks. These...
125
02:02DNA Topoisomerases
32.2K
Topoisomerases are enzymes that relax overwound DNA molecules during various cell processes, including DNA replication and transcription. These enzymes regulate positive and negative DNA supercoiling without changing the nucleotide sequence. DNA overwinding in a clockwise direction results in positively supercoiled DNA, whereas underwinding in a counterclockwise direction produces negatively supercoiled DNA.
Types and Mechanism of action
Topoisomerases are divided into two main types. ...
Types and Mechanism of action
Topoisomerases are divided into two main types. ...
32.2K
03:18Non-LTR Retrotransposons
12.4K
As the name suggests, non-LTR retrotransposons lack the long terminal repeats characteristic of the LTR retrotransposons. Additionally, both LTR and non-LTR retrotransposons use distinct mechanisms of mobilization. Non-LTR retrotransposons are further divided into two classes - Long interspersed nuclear elements (LINEs) and short interspersed nuclear elements (SINEs), both of which occur abundantly in most mammals, including humans. Some of the active non-LTR retrotransposons in humans are L1...
12.4K