| melting temperature of DNA | That temperature at which, under a given set of conditions, double-stranded DNA is changed (50%) to single-stranded DNA; under standard conditions, the base composition of the DNA can be estimated from the denaturation temperature, since the greater the denaturation temperature, the greater the guanine-plus-cytosine content (i.e., GC content) of the DNA. Synonym: melting temperature of DNA. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| chloroplast DNA | <molecular biology> A circular molecule of DNA found in all photosynthetic plants which codes for the function of photosynthesis. (09 Oct 1997) |
| RNA-directed DNA polymerase | <enzyme> An enzyme that synthesises DNA on an RNA template. It is encoded by the pol gene of retroviruses and by certain retrovirus-like elements. Chemical name: Deoxynucleotide-triphosphate:DNA deoxynucleotidyltransferase (RNA-directed) Registry number: EC 2.7.7.49 (12 Dec 1998) |
| Pfu DNA polymerase | <enzyme> From pyrococcus furiosus; shows sequence homology with alpha-like DNA polymerases; amino acid sequence given in first source Registry number: EC 2.7.7.- Synonym: pfu polymerase (26 Jun 1999) |
| circular DNA | <molecular biology> C.f. Linear DNA. Examples: plasmids, bacterial, mitochondrial, chloroplast and some viral genomes. (18 Nov 1997) |
| MIP1 DNA polymerase | <enzyme> From saccharomyces cerevisiae; has structural similarity with the E coli DNA polymerase i-type enzymes Registry number: EC 2.7.7.- Synonym: mip1 gene product (26 Jun 1999) |
| cloning, DNA | The use of DNA manipulation procedures to produce multiple copies of a single gene or segment of DNA. (12 Dec 1998) |
| molecules, recombinant DNA | A combination of DNA molecules of different origin that are joined using recombinant DNA technology. (12 Dec 1998) |
| competitor DNA | DNA from a test organism that is denatured and then used in in vitro hybridization experiments in which it competes with DNA (homologous) from a reference organism; used to determine the relationship of the test organism to the reference organism. (05 Mar 2000) |
| complementary DNA | <molecular biology> DNA that is synthesised from a messenger RNA template, the single-stranded form is often used as a probe in physical mapping to locate the gene or can be cloned in the double stranded form. Viral reverse transcriptase can be used to synthesise DNA that is complementary to RNA (for example an isolated mRNA). Acronym: cDNA (13 Nov 1997) |
| complementary DNA cloning | <molecular biology, technique> A lab technique where a double-stranded cDNA molecule (or dscDNA) is inserted into a cloning vector (another DNA molecule which will continue to be capable of replication after insertion of foreign material), so that the gene encoded by the cDNA can be expressed (transcribed and used) or so many copies of the gene can be made. (09 Oct 1997) |
| complementary DNA library | <molecular biology> A collection of all of the mRNA molecules present in a cell or organism, all turned into cDNA molecules with the enzyme reverse transcriptase, then inserted into vectors (other DNA molecules which can continue to replicate after addition of foreign DNA). The library can then be probed for the specific cDNA (and thus mRNA) of interest. (09 Oct 1997) |
| polymerase, DNA | Enzyme that catalyses (speeds) the polymerization of DNA. DNA polymerase uses preexisting nucleic acid templates and assembles the DNA from deoxyribonucleotides. (12 Dec 1998) |
| polymerase, DNA or RNA | Enzymes that catalyse the synthesis of nucleic acids on pre-existing nucleic acid templates, assembling RNA from ribonucleotides or DNA from deoxyribonucleotides. (05 Mar 2000) |
| covalently closed circular DNA | <molecular biology> A circular molecule of double-stranded DNA which is supercoiled, or coiled up on itself due to internal tensions, because there are no breaks in the phosphate backbone (upon which the nucleotide bases are mounted) to relieve the tensions and allow it to form an open circle. (09 Oct 1997) |