Deoxyribonuclease from beef pancreas, DNase I, was first crystallized by Kunitz. It is an endonuclease which splits phosphodiester linkages, preferentially adjacent to a pyrimidine nucleotide yielding 5'-phosphate terminated polynucleotides with a free hydroxyl group on position 3'. The average chain of limit digest is a tetranucleotide. DNase I acts upon single chain DNA, and upon double-stranded DNA and chromatin.

• Presentation: White Powder
• Extinction Coefficient (E1%): E1%280= 11.1
• A lyophilized powder containing a small amount of glycine-stabilizer
• Optimum pH: 7.8

DNase I is used as a genetic marker for forensic identification. Used for the removal of DNA from protein samples. DNAse I is used to nick DNA, as a first step to incorporate labeled bases into DNA. The enzyme from Sigma has been used in the nuclease stock along with RNAse during cell lysate preparation of Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) II cell lines. It has also been used during RNA extraction from Sindbis virus. Deoxyribonuclease I from bovine pancreas has been used for the identification, localization and expression of two novel human genes similar to deoxyribonuclease I. Deoxyribonuclease I from bovine pancreas has also been used in a study to investigate a new approach to obtaining high-activity RNase, DNase, cholesterolesterase, and trypsin from cattle pancreas.

DNase I is an endonuclease that acts on phosphodiester bonds adjacent to pyrimidines to produce polynucleotides with terminal 5′-phosphates. In the presence of Mg²⁺, DNAse I cleaves each strand of DNA independently and the cleavage sites are random. Both DNA strands are cleaved at approximately the same site in the presence of Mn2+. The pH optimum is found to be between 7 and 8. Divalent cations such as Mn²⁺, Ca²⁺, Co²⁺, and Zn²⁺ are activators of the enzyme. A concentration of 5 mM Ca²⁺ stabilizes the enzyme against proteolytic digestion. DNAse I from bovine pancreas consists of four chromatographically distinguishable components, A, B, C, and D, with their molar ratios being 4:1:1 respectively. Only minor amounts of D are found. 2-Mercaptoethanol, chelators, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and actin are known to inhibit the enzyme activity.