Single molecule studies of nucleic acid enzymes

Authors

Samir M. Hamdan, Harvard Medical School
Antoine M. van Oijen, Harvard Medical SchoolFollow

RIS ID

94383

Publication Details

Hamdan, S. M. & van Oijen, A. M. (2009). Single molecule studies of nucleic acid enzymes. In A. E. Knight (Eds.), Single Molecule Biology (pp. 173-193). San Diego: Elsevier.

Abstract

The replication, transcription, recombination, and repair of DNA are essential processes in the propagation, utilization, and upkeep of genetic information. Numerous different enzymes have evolved to catalyze the synthesis, digestion, unwinding, and unlinking of nucleic acids that are central to genomic maintenance. The development of single molecule techniques has allowed researchers to study the activity of nucleic acid enzymes at an unprecedented level of detail. This chapter will review the various experimental methods used and will discuss the type of information obtained by the study of nucleic acid enzymes at the single molecule level.