Ribonuclease H

Ribonuclease H (RNase H) is a type of ribonucleases that catalyzes the cleavage of RNA via a hydrolytic mechanism. These enzymes are found many different organisms, including bacteria, archaea and eukaryotes.

RNase H cleaves the 3'-O-P bond of RNA in a DNA/RNA duplex substrate to produce 3'-hydroxyl and 5'-phosphate terminated products. In DNA replication, RNase H is responsible for removing the RNA primer, allowing completion of the newly synthesized DNA.