Restriction enzymes and their use in molecular biology: An overview

Restriction enzymes have been identified in the early 1950s of the past century and have quickly become key players in the molecular biology of DNA. Forty years ago, the scientists whose pioneering work had explored the activity and sequence specificity of these enzymes, contributing to the definition of their enormous potential as tools for DNA characterization, mapping and manipulation, were awarded the Nobel Prize. In this short review, we celebrate the history of these enzymes in the light of their many different uses, as these proteins have accompanied the history of DNA for over 50 years representing active witnesses of major steps in the field.