What is another name for restriction enzymes that cut at the same spot?

Restriction enzymes that cut at the same spot in different organisms are referred to as isoschizomers. This term is specifically used to indicate that these enzymes recognize the same DNA sequence and create the same cut within that sequence, regardless of their source. This characteristic is important in molecular biology and genetic engineering, as it allows scientists to use different isoschizomers interchangeably in cloning and other applications, depending on the availability and characteristics of the enzymes.

Homologs typically refer to proteins or DNA sequences that share a common ancestry but may not necessarily exhibit the same cutting behavior. Endonucleases, while they include restriction enzymes, are a broader category of enzymes that cut within the nucleotide sequence, which doesn’t specifically denote the property of recognizing and cutting at the same site as isoschizomers do. Exonucleases, on the other hand, work by removing nucleotides from the ends of a DNA molecule rather than cutting at specific internal sites, making their function distinct from that of restriction enzymes.

Understanding the specificity of isoschizomers aids in selecting appropriate enzymes for various experimental protocols in molecular biology, highlighting their utility in research and biotechnology.