Article
Article
Restriction enzyme
Article By:
Roberts, Richard J. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratories, Cold Spring Harbor, New York. Nobelist.
Last reviewed:August 2019
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.584150
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An enzyme that recognizes a short specific sequence within a DNA molecule and then catalyzes double-strand cleavage of that molecule. Restriction enzymes, also called restriction endonucleases or endodeoxyribonucleases, make one incision on each of the two strands of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) at or near specific recognition sequences, which are termed restriction sites. As such, these DNA-cutting enzymes can modify and manipulate DNA molecules for use in various molecular biology applications (Fig. 1). Restriction enzymes have been found in bacteria, where they serve to protect against the deleterious effects of foreign DNA. See also: Bacteria; Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA); Enzyme; Molecular biology
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