General term for enzymes that catalyze the hydrolysis of nucleic acid into nucleotides or oligonucleotides by cleaving phosphodiester linkages. For nucleases not listed below, see the specific term. Cf.:exonuclease, endonuclease.
- azotobacter n. endonuclease (Serratia marcescens).
- micrococcal n. SYN: micrococcal endonuclease.
* * *
* * *
n.
an enzyme that catalyses the breakdown of nucleic acids by cleaving the bonds between adjacent nucleotides. Examples are ribonuclease, which acts on RNA, and deoxyribonuclease, which acts on DNA.
* * *
nu·cle·ase (nooґkle-ās) a general term for enzymes of the hydrolase class that catalyze the cleavage of phosphodiester linkages in nucleic acids to form nucleotides or oligonucleotides [EC 3.1.11–31]. The nucleases are classified in subgroups on the basis of their substrate specificity; they may be endonucleases or exonucleases, each of which may be specific for the ribonucleic acids (ribonucleases) or deoxyribonucleic acids (deoxyribonucleases).Medical dictionary. 2011.