What is the Difference Between DNA and DNAse?
🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚The main difference between DNA and DNase lies in their composition and function:
DNA:
- DNA is a nucleic acid and serves as the hereditary material in all organisms, except for a few viruses.
- Its building blocks are nucleotides.
- DNA carries genetic information that is transferred from one generation to the next.
- It is a major constituent of chromosomes and is found in the nucleus.
DNase:
- DNase is a protein and an enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolytic cleavage of phosphodiester linkages in the backbone of DNA.
- Its building blocks are amino acids.
- DNase degrades DNA by breaking phosphodiester bonds between nucleotides.
- It is found in the cytoplasm.
In summary, DNA is the genetic material that carries hereditary information, while DNase is an enzyme that degrades DNA by breaking its phosphodiester bonds.
Comparative Table: DNA vs DNAse
Here is a table highlighting the differences between DNA and DNase:
| Feature | DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid) | DNase (Deoxyribonuclease) |
|---|---|---|
| Chemical Nature | Nucleic Acid | Protein |
| Building Blocks | Nucleotides | Amino Acids |
| Function | Contains genetic information; found in the nucleus | Breaks down DNA molecules into smaller pieces; primarily found in the cytoplasm |
| Self-Replication | Synthesizes new DNA strands through DNA replication | DNase enzyme is synthesized through the transcription and translation of the DNase gene |
| Substrate | DNA serves as the substrate for the DNase enzyme | DNase enzyme non-specifically cleaves DNA to release 5'-phosphorylated di-, tri-, and oligonucleotide products |
| Applications | 1. Degradation of contaminating DNA after RNA isolation 2. "Clean-up" of RNA prior to RT-PCR and after in vitro transcription 3. Identification of protein binding sequences on DNA (DNase I footprinting) |
DNA is the genetic material found in all living organisms except for a few viruses, while DNase is an enzyme that breaks down DNA molecules into smaller pieces.
Read more:
- DNA vs RNA
- DNA vs cDNA
- DNA vs RNA Isolation
- DNA vs RNA Extraction
- Gene vs DNA
- DNA vs RNA Synthesis
- Benzonase vs DNase
- DNA vs RNA Nucleotide
- DNA Polymerase vs RNA Polymerase
- DNA vs Histone Methylation
- ssDNA vs dsDNA
- DNA vs mRNA
- DNA vs Protein Sequence
- Endonuclease vs Exonuclease
- DNA Ligase vs DNA Polymerase
- DNA vs RNA Probes
- DNA vs RNA Viruses
- Deoxyribonucleic acid vs Ribonucleic Acid
- DNA vs Chromosome