Description
This is an endoribonuclease that cleaves double-stranded RNA molecules. The cleavage can be either a single-stranded nick or double-stranded break in the RNA, depending in part upon the degree of base-pairing in the region of the cleavage site. Specificity is conferred by negative determinants, i.e., the presence of certain Watson-Crick base-pairs at specific positions that strongly inhibit cleavage. RNase III is involved in both rRNA processing and mRNA processing and decay