ribonuclease (redirected from ribonucleinase)

ribonuclease [‚rī·bō′nü·klē‚ās]

(biochemistry)

C₅₈₇H₉₀₉N₁₇₁O₁₉₇S₁₂An enzyme that catalyzes the depolymerization of ribonucleic acid.

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Ribonuclease

A group of enzymes, widely distributed in nature, which catalyze hydrolysis of the internucleotide phosphodiester bonds in ribonucleic acid (RNA). The sites of hydrolysis may vary considerably, depending upon the specificity of the particular enzyme. Differences in specificity for the site of cleavage have led to the use of these various ribonucleases as tools in determining the structure and chemistry of RNA. See Enzyme, Nucleic acid

Research on ribonuclease has played a prime role in advancing the understanding of protein structure and function; also, it was the first protein to be totally synthesized from its component amino acids. Since the elucidation of the amino acid sequence of ribonuclease, much information has been compiled with regard to the three-dimensional structure of the enzyme and to specific regions of the molecule which are catalytically important. See Protein