topoisomerase

noun

topo·isom·er·ase | \ˌtō-pō-ī-ˈsä-mə-ˌrās,

-ˌrāz\

Definition of topoisomerase

: any of a class of enzymes that reduce supercoiling in DNA by breaking and rejoining one or both strands of the DNA molecule

Examples of topoisomerase in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

When things start getting too tightly wound, topoisomerase cuts the DNA strand, unwinds it, and reattaches it with a bit more slack. — Cathleen O'grady, Ars Technica, "New anti-gonorrhea drug called “metal as f–k”," 15 Nov. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'topoisomerase.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about topoisomerase

Dictionary Entries near topoisomerase

topographometric

topological equivalence

Statistics for topoisomerase

Last Updated

14 Dec 2018

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for topoisomerase

The first known use of topoisomerase was in 1980

See more words from the same year

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for topoisomerase

topoisomerase

noun

topo·isom·er·ase | \ˌtō-pō-ī-ˈsäm-ə-ˌrās, -ˌrāz

\

Medical Definition of topoisomerase

: any of a class of enzymes that reduce supercoiling in DNA by breaking and rejoining one or both strands of the DNA molecule

Comments on topoisomerase

What made you want to look up topoisomerase? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

WORD OF THE DAY

millefleur

having a pattern of small flowers

Test Your Vocabulary

Find the Cousins

Which pair shares a common word ancestor?

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

SCRABBLE® Sprint

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games