Hyasen Recombinant DNase I: Your Go-To for RNA Prep & DNA Residue Removal

What is DNase I? Simply put, it is an endonuclease that specializes in degrading DNA molecules. Belonging to the deoxyribonuclease family, its primary function is to hydrolyze the phosphodiester bonds of DNA, cleaving long DNA strands into short oligonucleotide fragments. These fragments typically carry 5′-phosphate groups, facilitating subsequent experimental operations or biological processes. DNase I is applicable in a series of molecular biology experiments, including RNA extraction, library construction, reverse transcription, as well as RT-qPCR and in vitro transcription. This article will introduce this enzyme in detail.

The Development History of DNase I

Traditionally, DNase I was mainly extracted from bovine pancreas, known as “bovine-derived DNase I”. Bovine pancreas is rich in this enzyme, as it helps decompose ingested DNA in the animal’s digestive system. With the advancement of biotechnology, researchers have produced “recombinant DNase I” (rDNase I) via genetic engineering, expressing human or bovine-derived sequences in bacteria (such as Escherichia coli) or yeast. Compared with DNase I extracted from bovine pancreas, recombinant DNase I avoids animal-derived risks and is superior in purity, activity, stability, safety and other aspects.

Key Applications of DNase I

l RNA Sample Processing and DNA Residue Removal in qPCR Systems

Genomic DNA is often contaminated during RNA preparation, which affects the accuracy of downstream transcriptome sequencing or real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). DNase I serves as a “standard tool” for eliminating DNA contamination in RNA preparation systems. It can degrade contaminating DNA efficiently through short-term incubation without affecting RNA.

l Template DNA Removal in In Vitro Transcription

In vitro transcription (IVT) mainly uses DNA as a template, and RNA is obtained through in vitro transcription with corresponding substrates and buffers. In IVT experiments, synthesized RNA may contain residual DNA; eliminating such residues can reduce the difficulty of downstream purification and improve product purity.

Hyasen Recombinant DNase I