[Restriction endonucleases: their characteristics and distribution in pathogenic bacteria].

Restriction endonucleases have been widely employed in almost all fields of genetic engineering including DNA mapping, cloning, sequencing, hybridization, amplification and diagnosis. The general characteristics of restriction endonucleases and their reactions are reviewed in this paper, together with their distribution in pathogenic bacteria. Many restriction endonucleases with novel specificity have been found in these bacteria in our laboratory. Some of them are commercially available and have been employed for the molecular biologist. Rapid method for detection of restriction endonucleases in pathogenic bacteria is also described.