Enzymes that catalyse the ligation of two molecules with concomitant
hydrolysis of the pyrophosphate bond in adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) or a similar triphosphate,
forming
C–C
,
C–O
,
C–S
,
P–O
or
C–N
bonds.
In
recombinant DNA technology,
ligases covalently join together two sequences of
DNA (e.g.
hostDNA and foreign
DNA) by a phosphodiester bond.
Source:
PAC, 1992, 64, 143
(Glossary for chemists of terms used in biotechnology (IUPAC Recommendations 1992))
on page 159