A multifunctional enzyme: commentary on ‘structure-specific DNA endonuclease T7 endonuclease I cleaves DNA containing UV-induced DNA lesions’

Phage research has played a pioneering role in the transition from genetics to molecular biology, primarily by advancing our understanding of the "3Rs": Replication, Recombination, and Repair. Historically, discoveries arising from the evolutionary arms race between phages and their hosts have provided essential molecular tools, such as restriction enzymes and polymerases, and more recently, have led to genome engineering technologies like CRISPR/Cas9. This commentary outlines the multifaced function of T7 endonuclease I, another important enzyme derived from 3R research, based on new findings by Matsubara et al. (1)).