Nucleases are enzymes capable of cleaving phosphodiesther bonds between nucleotides in nucleic
acids (DNA and RNA).
A phosphodiesther bond before hydrolysis (white balls represent hydrogen atoms, red represent oxygen and purple represent phosphorus).
A phosphodiesther bond after hydrolysis. Note the aditional two atoms of hydrogen and one of oxygen, that came from a water molecule.
This main
category is divided in two subcategories: endonucleases and exonucleases.
Endonucleases
break the inner phosphodiester bonds of the chain. On the other hand,
exonucleases start the cleavage of phosphodiester bonds in the nucleotides
present in the extremities (5’ and 3’).
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