Canadian Medical Guide > Chemicals and Drugs > Enzymes and Coenzymes > Enzymes > DNA Restriction-Modification Enzymes > DNA Modification Methylases Terms and Definitions

DNA Modification Methylases

Medical Definition:	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.
CAS Number:	EC 2.1.1.-
Previously Indexed:	DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferase (1975-1988),Methyltransferases (1971-1988)

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