Submitted by Sariel007 t3_xxyhgb in Futurology
Stewy_434 t1_irf2ll6 wrote
Reply to comment by smurfettekcmo in A bold effort to cure HIV—using Crispr by Sariel007
Restriction enzymes, or restriction endonucleases, or base pair cutters, cut doubled-stranded DNA by disrupting the phosphodiester bond that joins adjacent nucleotides. It is not random though.
Like other enzymes, restriction enzymes show specificity for certain substrates. For these enzymes, the substrate is a sequence of base pairs in the DNA strands. They bind to, recognize, and cut (digest) DNA within specific sequences, called restriction sites, and these sites must be palindromic readings from the separate strands. You can have 4, 6, or 8 (there are others) base pair cutters. If the sequence is shorter (say a 4 base pair cutter), it is more likely to be repeated than an 8-base pair cutter.
The biochemistry behind it is ridiculous and goes into why enzymes cut at the free ends of DNA molecules, while restriction enzymes cut inside the DNA strands.
smurfettekcmo t1_irftg4g wrote
RE are very different tech than CRISPR. CRISPR is much more specific to a certain seq I believe. RE sites are pretty specific but you tend to have multiple of each depending on the length of sequence. I left the molecular lab before CRISPR but have used RE digestion a lot personally when I was still in the lab.
slagwa t1_irgxuzh wrote
What are the chances that they get every cell containing a segment of HIV?
smurfettekcmo t1_irh3mg7 wrote
From the other attempts described in the article that is definitely a huge hurdle.
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