Question

What is the function of restriction enzymes?

Answer 1

Restriction enzymes are found in bacteria and archaea and provide a defense mechanism against invading viruses.

Explanation:

Restriction enzymes are enzymes that cut DNA at or near specific recognition nucleotide sequences known as restriction sites.

Isolated restriction enzymes are used to manipulate DNA for different scientific applications and are an important tool for recombinant DNA technology.

1) They are used to assist insertion of genes into plasmid vectors during gene cloning and protein production experiments.

2) Restriction enzymes can also be used to distinguish gene alleles by specifically recognising single base changes in DNA.

3) They are used to digest genomic DNA for gene analysis by southern blot.