Nov. 04, 2009

Catching Enzymes in the Act

Proteins that copy and edit DNA help protect cells from attack by removing viral DNA insertions. They are thought to reach their target sequence by "sliding", "hopping" and "jumping" along DNA strands. Observing this behavior has proved hard, however, due to its speed of action. We discuss a recent research project that used a high-speed camera to observe - for the first time - the sliding and jumping of EcoRV, a restriction enzyme, along DNA molecules.
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