rnhA (Escherichia coli K12): Ribonuclease HI, degrades RNA of DNA-RNA hybrids; Endonuclease that specifically degrades the RNA of RNA-DNA hybrids. RNase H participates in DNA replication; it helps to specify the origin of genomic replication by suppressing initiation at origins other than the oriC locus; along with the 5'-3' exonuclease of pol1, it removes RNA primers from the Okazaki fragments of lagging strand synthesis; and it defines the origin of replication for ColE1-type plasmids by specific cleavage of an RNA preprimer.