DNA modifying enzymes play important roles in recombinant DNA technology. DNA polymerase synthesizes DNA from deoxyribonucleotides and is essential for DNA replication. It consists of subunits that carry out polymerase and exonuclease activities. Reverse transcriptase generates cDNA from an RNA template. Alkaline phosphatase, phosphatase, kinase and methyltransferases modify DNA through addition or removal of phosphate groups or methyl groups and are used in cloning experiments and DNA sequencing. Terminal transferase adds nucleotides to DNA ends. Restriction enzymes are inhibited by DNA methylation.
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