See Also: DNA modification methylases(medicine)
polynucleotide methylases(medicine)
Herbal medicine (botanical medicine, herbology, phytomedicine)(health)
modification(dictionary)
Modification(medicine)
DNA modification(medicine)
MODIFICATION(law)
modification(dictionary)
modification enzyme(medicine)
weather modification(encyclopedia)

DNA modification methylases (medicine)


DNA modification methylases
<enzyme> Enzymes that are part of the restriction-modification systems. They are responsible for producing a species-characteristic methylation pattern, on either adenine or cytosine residues, in a specific short base sequence in the host cell's own DNA. This methylated sequence will occur many times in the hosT-cell DNA and remain intact for the lifetime of the cell. Any DNA from another species which gains entry into a living cell and lacks the characteristic methylation pattern will be recognised by the restriction endonucleases of similar specificity and destroyed by cleavage. most have been studied in bacterial systems, but a few have been found in eukaryotic organisms.

Registry number: EC 2.1.1.-