- Concept UI
- M0023492
- Scope Note
- 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 recognized 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.
- Terms
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DNA Modification Methylases
Preferred Term
Term UI
T044775
Date01/01/1999
LexicalTag
ACX
ThesaurusID
NLM (1989)
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DNA Modification Methyltransferases
Term UI
T044776
Date05/17/1988
LexicalTag
NON
ThesaurusID
UNK (19XX)
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Modification Methylases
Term UI
T044777
Date05/17/1988
LexicalTag
NON
ThesaurusID
UNK (19XX)