Deoxyribonuclease

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Deoxyribonuclease
Drug information
ATC code B06 AA10 R05 CB13 (Dornase alpha)
Enzyme classification
EC, category 3.1 -.- ,  nuclease
Substrate DNA

A deoxyribonuclease is an enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of deoxyribonucleic acid molecular chains (DNA) into shorter molecular chains or the individual building blocks . Deoxyribonucleases are therefore nucleases .

Synonyms / meanings

  • Synonyms: DNase / ˌdeːɛnˈˀaːzə /, obsolete DNAse
  • In a broader sense , all nucleolytic enzymes (i.e., all nucleases ) that break down DNA are DNases.
  • In the narrower sense , DNases means the nucleases that have the designation “DNase” in their name.

DNases in the strict sense

DNase I (neutral DNase)

  • Location: pancreas and liver , thrombocytes and blood plasma , intracellularly probably mainly in the nucleus and mitochondria
  • Function: Enzymatic cleavage between the 5'- phosphate group and the 3'- hydroxyl group of two nucleotides: Formation of nucleoside -5'-phosphates
  • Note : DNase I is assigned a role in the fragmentation of cellular DNA in the context of apoptosis .
  • Note : DNase I binds the cytoskeletal protein actin with a very high affinity . The function of this interaction is controversial; but since actin-bound DNase I is enzymatically inactive, the DNase I-actin complex could be the storage form of DNase I in the cell, which cannot cause damage to the genetic material.

DNase II (acidic DNase)

  • Location: pancreas, body fluids (blood plasma, urine , breast milk, etc.), intracellular mainly in lysosomes and nucleus
  • Function: Enzymatic cleavage between the 5'-phosphate group and the 3'-hydroxyl group of a nucleotide: formation of nucleoside 3'-phosphates

Use as a medicinal substance

Recombinant human DNase I (abbr. RhDNase I, free Name dornase alpha, ATC code R05BC013) is sold under the trade name Pulmozyme ® as inhaled drug to the mucus in the dissolution of cystic fibrosis existing -patients DNA filaments used. This reduces the spinnability of the mucus and improves mucociliary clearance.

literature

  • Jochen Graw: Genetics . 4th, completely revised Edition. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg, New York 2006, ISBN 3-540-24096-9 .
  • Monika Jansohn, Achim Aigner, Sophie Rothhämel (eds.): Genetic engineering methods: a collection of work instructions for the molecular biological laboratory . 5th edition. Spectrum, Heidelberg 2012, ISBN 978-3-8274-2429-7 .