Restricted enzyme

Ramsden J J and Dreier J 1996 Kinetics of the interaction between DMA and the type 1C restriction enzyme SfyR 124/31 Biochemistry Z5 3746-53... 

The mam use of PCR is to amplify or make hundreds of thousands—even mil lions—of copies of a portion of the polynucleotide sequence m a sample of DNA Sup pose for example we wish to copy a 500 base pair region of a DNA that contains a total of 1 million base pairs We would begin as described m Section 28 14 by cleaving the DNA into smaller fragments using restriction enzymes then use PCR to make copies of the desired fragment... 

The basic steps of gene cloning first involve cutting a precise DNA segment (gene) from a donor source DNA by use of a restriction enzyme (Figure 45.2). At the same time, a small looped... 

Workers in the early 1970s recognized that restriction enzymes provided tools not only for DNA mapping but also for constmction of new DNA species not found in nature. A collection of recombinant DNA species consisting of many passenger sequences joined to identical vector molecules is called a hbrary. Individual recombinant DNAs are isolated from single clones of the Hbrary for detailed analysis and manipulation. 

Fig. 2. (a) Map of pUC19, a commonly used plasmid vector where the numbers correspond to the positions of the various restriction enzyme cuts and (b) nucleic acid composition of pUC19 from position 393 (5 -end) through position 469 (3 -end) (5,7). 

After a desired clone is obtained and mapped with restriction enzymes, further analysis usually depends on the deterrnination of its nucleotide sequence. The nucleotide sequence of a new gene often provides clues to its function and the stmcture of the gene product. Additionally, the DNA sequence of a gene provides a guidepost for further manipulation of the sequence, for example, lea ding to the production of a recombinant protein in bacteria. 

Exonucleases. Like the endonucleases they are restriction enzymes which act at the 3 or 5 ends of linear DNA by hydrolysing off the nucleotides. Although they are highly specific for hydrolysing nucleotides at the 3 or 5 ends of linear DNA, the number of nucleotides cleaved are time dependent and usually have to be estimated from the time allocated for cleavage. Commercially available exonucleases are used without further purification. 

Figure 7.8 Sequence-specific recognition sites in the major groove of DNA for three restriction enzymes—Eco RI, Bal I, and Sma I. The DNA sequences that are recognized by these enzymes ate represented by tbe color code defined in Figure 7.7.

Only a rather limited number of base pairs is needed to provide unique and discriminatory recognition sites in the major groove. This is illustrated in Figure 7.8, which gives the color codes for the hexanucleotide recognition sites of three different restriction enzymes—Eco Rl, Bal 1, and Sma 1. It is clear that these patterns are quite different, and each can be uniquely recognized by specific protein-DNA interactions. 

Restriction enzymes (Section 28.14) Enzymes that catalyze the cleavage of DNA at specihc sites. 

Type II restriction enzymes have received widespread application in the cloning and sequencing of DNA molecules. Their hydrolytic activity is not ATP-depen-dent, and they do not modify DNA by methylation or other means. Most importantly, they cut DNA within or near particular nucleotide sequences that they specifically recognize. These recognition sequences are typically four or six nucleotides in length and have a twofold axis of symmetry. For example, E. coU has a restriction enzyme, coRI, that recognizes the hexanucleotide sequence GAATTC ... 

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