Restriction Enzymes

Star activity is defined as the cleavage by a restriction enzyme at a nucleic acid sequence different from its recognition sequence as a result of altered incubation conditions such as excess NaCl present in the reaction.

How are restriction enzymes named?
The following order is used for designating restriction enzyme names:
a) a three letter abbreviation for the parent organism (for example, Bam for Bacillus amyloliquefaciens)
b) an additional letter or Arabic numeral, if necessary, to identify the strain or serotype (BamH)
c) and a Roman numeral to reflect the order of identification or characterization (BamH I)