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ligase

ligase

1 8.4
A protein that joins two pieces of DNA or other molecules together
  • noun
  • /ˈlaɪɡeɪz/
  • Specialized
: ligasa
  • Researchers rely on ligase enzymes to connect nucleotides during the process of DNA repair.
  • E3 ligase
  • ubiquitin ligase

Examples

  • We'll use a ligase other than T4.

  • In the same study, the X-linked gene Rnf12, which encodes the ubiquitin ligase Rnf12/RLIM, is identified to be a critical survival factor for milk-producing alveolar cells 23.

    Blog text (26)
  • We add ligase, and what does ligase do for a living?

  • An enzyme called exactly so ligase does the ligation.

  • The presence of tuberculous bacilli was confirmed by ligase chain reaction (LCR) assay.

    Academic text (2006)
  • For instance, in the MON810 maize, the insertion of the transgene in the ubiquitin ligase gene caused a complex recombination event, leading to the synthesis of new RNA products encoding unknown proteins.

    Blog text (14)
  • The DNA ligase is crucial for sealing the gaps between DNA fragments during replication.

  • A specific ligase can efficiently join the ends of two DNA strands in molecular biology experiments.

Synonyms

synthetase
vsligase
  • Specialized
1 8.4

A protein that joins two molecules using energy from ATP

joins two molecules without mentioning ATP and often applies in DNA processes

Surface Forms

ligase singular
ligases plural

Morphology

ligase = ligate (semi-transparent) = ligate + ase

Formed from the verb 'ligate' plus the enzyme-forming suffix '-ase'; the meaning 'enzyme that ligates' is directly derivable by those familiar with biochemical naming but not obvious to general learners.

Etymology

The word ligase comes from the Latin ligare, meaning 'to bind', plus the enzyme ending -ase. You can see the same root in ligament, so a ligase is literally an enzyme that 'binds' or joins molecules together, for example pieces of DNA.