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, 15 Nov. 2018 But while gonorrhea has been evolving ways to stop ciprofloxacin from getting in the way of topoisomerase, those strategies don’t work on the new drug. — Cathleen O'grady, Ars Technica, 15 Nov. 2018 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, 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.