ribonucleinase
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: * ribonuclease: An enzyme (a type of transferase) that catalyzes the hydrolysis (breakdown) of ribonucleic acid (RNA). It cleaves the phosphodiester bonds within RNA molecules.
Usage
- Ribonuclease is essential in many biological processes, including RNA maturation and degradation.
- Researchers use ribonuclease to remove RNA from DNA samples during purification.
- The activity of ribonuclease must be carefully controlled in the laboratory to prevent unwanted RNA degradation.
Advanced Usage
- Ribonuclease protection assay: A laboratory technique used to detect and quantify specific RNA molecules by hybridizing them to a complementary radioactive RNA probe, then digesting the non-hybridized RNA with ribonuclease.
- Ribonuclease H (RNase H): A specific class of ribonuclease that degrades the RNA strand in an RNA-DNA hybrid, a function critical in DNA replication.
Variants and Related Words
- RNase: The common abbreviation for ribonuclease.
- Ribonucleic acid (RNA): The nucleic acid polymer that ribonuclease acts upon.
- Deoxyribonuclease (DNase): A related enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of DNA.
- Nuclease: The general term for enzymes that cleave nucleic acids (including ribonucleases and deoxyribonucleases).
Synonyms
- RNase
- RNAase (less common variant spelling)
Related Phrases
- Ribonuclease activity: The catalytic function of the enzyme.
- Ribonuclease inhibitor: A protein that binds to and inhibits the activity of ribonuclease, often used in laboratory procedures to protect RNA.
Noun
- a transferase that catalyzes the hydrolysis of ribonucleic acid