A nicking enzyme (or nicking endonuclease) is an enzyme that cuts one strand of a double-stranded DNA at a specific recognition nucleotide sequences known as a restriction site. Such enzymes hydrolyse, cut, only one strand of the DNA duplex, to produce DNA molecules that are “nicked”, rather than cleaved. [1][2]
Their discovery can be used for strand-displacement amplification,[3] Nicking Enzyme Amplification Reaction, exonucleotyic degradation, or the creation of small gaps.[4] Over 200 nicking enzymes have been studied, and 13 of these are available commercially[5] and are routinely used for research and in commercial products.