what are restriction enzymes used for in nature
Figure Detail. The use of restriction enzymes as a way to cut DNA molecules was first demonstrated in a classic study by Johns Hopkins biochemist Daniel Nathans and his graduate student Kathleen Danna (Danna & Nathans, 1971).igure Detail. The use of restriction enzymes as a way to cut DNA molecules was first demonstrated in a classic study by Johns Hopkins biochemist Daniel Nathans and his graduate student Kathleen Danna (Danna & Nathans, 1971).
Restriction enzymes are nucleases that split only those DNA molecules in which they recognize particular subunits. Some split the target DNA molecule at random sites (Type I), but others split the molecule only at the recognition site (Type II) or at a fixed distance from the recognition site (Type III).