A 'deoxyribonuclease' ('DNase', for short) is any
enzyme that catalyzes the
hydrolytic cleavage of
phosphodiester linkages in the
DNA backbone. Deoxyribonucleases are thus one type of
nuclease. A wide variety of deoxyribonucleases are known, which differ in their
substrate specificities, chemical mechanisms, and biological functions.
Modes of action
Some DNases cleave only residues at the ends of DNA molecules (
exodeoxyribonucleases, a type of
exonuclease). Others cleave anywhere along the chain (
endodeoxyribonucleases, a subset of
endonucleases).
Some are fairly indiscriminate about the
DNA sequence at which they cut, while others, including
restriction enzymes, are very sequence-specific.
Some cleave only double-stranded DNA, others are specific for single-stranded molecules, and still others are active toward both.
Types of deoxyribonucleases
The two main types of DNase found in metazoans are known as
deoxyribonuclease I and
deoxyribonuclease II.
Other types of DNase include
Micrococcal nuclease.
References
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