title: The specificity of a neutral deoxyribonuclease from Cancer pagurus.
abstract: The recently isolated neutral deoxyribonuclease from crab (Cancer pagurus) testes has been characterized in its mode of action and its specificity. The enzyme is a typical endonuclease, forming 5'-phosphate oligonucleotides of large average size; after extensive digestion of calf thymus DNA over 75% of the fragments have a size larger than pentanucleotides and mononucleotides are absent. As far as specificity is concerned, thymidine is very abundant in the 5'-penultimate position (approximately 50%) and in the 3'-terminal position (37%) and almost absent in the 5'-terminal position (approximately 1%), the values quoted concerning Escherichia coli digests of average size (Pn) between 50 and 10.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003386:Brachyura / Q000201:enzymology*; D003851:Deoxyribonucleases / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D003854:Deoxyribonucleotides / Q000032:analysis; D004720:Endonucleases / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D007700:Kinetics; D008297:Male; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides / Q000032:analysis; D013045:Species Specificity; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D013737:Testis / Q000201:enzymology; D013950:Thymus Gland
chemical_list: D003854:Deoxyribonucleotides; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides; D003851:Deoxyribonucleases; D004720:Endonucleases