Exonucleases

Exonucleases are a broad class of enzymes that cleave off nucleotides one at a time from the 3’ or 5’ ends of DNA and RNA chains. This activity contrasts with endonucleases, which hydrolyze internal phosphodiester bonds. Biological functions of exonucleases include RNA degradation and turnover, DNA proofreading, and transcriptional regulation. In molecular biology, commercial exonucleases are available for a variety of applications: Exonuclease I can be used for degrading excess single-stranded primers from a mixture containing double stranded products. Exonuclease III can be used for unidirectional nested deletions and site-directed mutagenesis. Lambda Exonuclease can be used for the removal of single nucleotides from the 5’ ends in duplex DNA. Discover and compare exonucleases from different manufacturers in our enzyme search tool.