nuclease

American  

[noo-klee-eys, -eyz, nyoo-] / ˈnu kliˌeɪs, -ˌeɪz, ˈnyu- /

noun

Biochemistry.

1. any enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of nucleic acids.

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nuclease British  

/ ˈnjuːklɪˌeɪz /

noun

1. any of a group of enzymes that hydrolyse nucleic acids to simple nucleotides

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Etymology

Origin of nuclease

1900–05; nucle(ic acid) ( def. ) + -ase

Example Sentences

Until now, researchers did not know which nuclease was responsible for triggering this destructive chain reaction, making it impossible to design therapies aimed at stopping it.

From Science Daily • Feb. 16, 2026

But soon after fertilization, the nuclease cuts the DNA sequence on the other chromosome from the parent that did not carry the gene at the precise location of the gene drive.

From Scientific American • Jan. 13, 2023

It took Dr. Bao’s lab more than two years of development, and then zinc finger nuclease would successfully cut the sickle cell sequence only around 10 percent of the time.

From New York Times • Jun. 27, 2022

The mismatch repair proteins detect this base and remove it from the newly synthesized strand by nuclease action.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

The nuclease produces a double-strand break, which is repaired using the host cell’s machinery.

From Nature • Jun. 11, 2019