Locking mechanism found for 'scissors' that cut DNA
Wednesday, December 24, 2014 - 12:30
in Biology & Nature
Researchers at Johns Hopkins have discovered what keeps an enzyme from becoming overzealous in its clipping of DNA. Since controlled clipping is required for the production of specialized immune system proteins, an understanding of what keeps the enzyme in check should help explain why its mutant forms can lead to immunodeficiency and cancer. A summary of the results will be published online in the journal Cell Reports on Dec. 24.