Assertion: The name of any restriction endonuclease ends with a roman ...
Possible answer:
Name and discovery of restriction endonucleases
- Restriction endonucleases are enzymes that cut DNA at specific sites, usually recognizing short palindromic sequences of nucleotides.
- They were first discovered in bacteria, where they function as defense mechanisms against invading viruses or plasmids by cutting their DNA.
- Hundreds of different restriction endonucleases have been identified from various bacterial strains and classified into different families based on their sequence, structure, and cutting pattern.
- The names of restriction endonucleases usually reflect their source, their specificity, and their order of discovery within that source.
- For example, EcoRI stands for Escherichia coli RY13, the strain that provided this enzyme, and the Roman numeral I indicates that it was the first restriction endonuclease discovered from that strain.
- Similarly, HindIII stands for Haemophilus influenzae Rd, the strain that provided this enzyme, and the Roman numeral III indicates that it was the third restriction endonuclease discovered from that strain.
Roman numerals and enzyme discovery
- The use of Roman numerals in the names of restriction endonucleases does not simply indicate their order of discovery in general, but rather their order of discovery from a specific bacterial strain.
- Therefore, two different restriction endonucleases may have the same Roman numeral if they were both discovered as the first or second enzyme from different bacterial strains.
- Moreover, newer restriction endonucleases that are discovered from the same or different bacterial strains may be named based on their similarity to existing ones or on their function, rather than on their order of discovery.
- Therefore, the assertion that "the name of any restriction endonuclease ends with a Roman numeral" is false, as there are exceptions and variations to this naming convention.
Conclusion
- Option 3 is the correct answer, as it acknowledges the truth of the assertion that restriction endonucleases have specific names, but rejects the false reason that their names always end with a Roman numeral to indicate their order of discovery in general.
Assertion: The name of any restriction endonuclease ends with a roman ...
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