A Comparison of the Initial Actions of Spleen Deoxyrihonuclease and Pancreatic Deoxyrihonuclease

The modes of action of several deoxyribonucleases have been studied in varying detail. The manner in which pancreatic deoxyribonuclease degrades deoxyribonucleic acid has been thoroughly analyzed both with regard to the breakdown of secondary structure and to the products formed. The activities of several other deoxyribonucleases have been characterized, especially those from Escherichia coli. A variety of specificities has been observed in which the preference seems to be most directly related to the secondary structure of the substrate and not rigorously to the internucleotide linkage