Depurination

**Semantic type:** Phenomenon or Process

**Definition:** Depurination involves cleavage of the N-glycosidic link between a purine base and the remaining deoxyribose portion of the effected nucleotide in DNA, leading to loss of the purine base while leaving the DNA backbone intact. Depurination must be enzymically repaired to ensure genetic stability; transversion mutations result from purine loss.