Nomenclature
| Derivation of the EcoRI name | ||
|---|---|---|
| Abbreviation | Meaning | Description |
| E | Escherichia | genus |
| co | coli | species |
| R | RY13 | strain |
| I | First identified | order of identification in the bacterium |
Since their discovery in the 1970s, more than 100 different restriction enzymes have been identified in different bacteria. Each enzyme is named after the bacterium from which it was isolated using a naming system based on bacterial genus, species and strain. For example, the name of the EcoRI restriction enzyme was derived as shown in the box.
Read more about this topic: Restriction Enzyme