topoisomerase
noun
topo·isom·er·ase
ˌtō-pō-ī-ˈsä-mə-ˌrās 
-ˌrāz
: 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
Many of these carry drugs that inhibit the enzyme topoisomerase 1, which is essential for DNA replication.
—
Jyoti Madhusoodanan, Scientific American, 1 Mar. 2024
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Jyoti Madhusoodanan, Scientific American, 1 Mar. 2024
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
Dictionary Entries Near topoisomerase
Cite this Entry
“Topoisomerase.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/topoisomerase. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
topoisomerase
noun
topo·isom·er·ase
ˌtō-pō-ī-ˈsäm-ə-ˌrās, -ˌrāz
: any of a class of enzymes that reduce supercoiling in DNA by breaking and rejoining one or both strands of the DNA molecule
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share