What key structural features of the DNA molecule underlie its ability to be faithfully replicated?
To review:
The structural features that help DNA(deoxyribonucleic acid) replicate.
Introduction:
DNA is genetic material because it stores all the information to be transferred from one generation to another. DNA is found in the nucleus of every cell of the body and regulates the functions of the cell. All cells of the body is controlled and regulated by its own DNA.
Explanation of Solution
DNA is a double-stranded structure held together by complementary base pairing. Both the strands of DNA run in opposite directions, which means that both strands are antiparallel. One strand of DNA runs in the 5` to 3` direction while the other strand runs in the 3` to 5` direction.
DNA is a negatively charged molecule that is wrapped around the histone protein so as to minimize its length in order for it to occupy minimum space in the nucleus. The ability of DNA to self-replicate is very unique. However, in the case of RNA(ribonucleic acid), it is dependent on DNA for its synthesis. DNA is able to self-replicate due to double strands as both the strands can synthesize complementary strands, which can join together with the help of hydrogen bonding.
Therefore, it can be concluded that the complementary double strand of DNA is the reason for its ability to self-replicate.
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Chapter 11 Solutions
GENETICS:ANALYSIS+PRIN.(LL)-W/ACCESS
- Mismatches introduced during DNA replication are detected and repaired efficiently by the “Mut” system of E. coli. (A) Please outline the steps in mismatch detection and repair by this system. (B) What is the historical reason for naming these genes “Mut” in the first place? (C) How might you identify bacterial strains with defects in the “Mut” system? (D) It has been observed that recombination-deficient mutations are usually lethal when they are combined with mutations in the mismatch repair pathway you just described. Why is that?arrow_forwardWhich of the followings statements are true about DNA polymerase? 1.) It can only go in one direction, meaning the lagging strand can't be synthesized continuously. 2.) It cannot start a DNA strand from scratch, so another enzyme is needed to create "primers" as a starting point. 3.) It cannot copy epigenetic marks (such as methyl groups) on its own; these must be "copied" onto the daughter DNA strand by other enzymes after DNA replication. 4.) All of the abovearrow_forwardA temperature sensitive mutant is isolated where at the non-permissive temperature replication stops relatively slowly and when the DNA is analyzed it appears to have extra twists ahead of the replication forks. What protein is most likely mutated? a)DnaA b)DNA polymerase I c)DNA gyrase d) DNA polymerase IIIarrow_forward
- What enzymatic features of DNA polymerase prevent it from replicating one of the DNA strands at the ends of linear chromosomes? Compared with DNA polymerase, how is telomerase different in its ability to synthesize a DNA strand? What does telomerase use as its template for the synthesis of a DNA strand? How does the use of this template result in a telomere sequence that is tandemly repetitive?arrow_forwardTo prepare a sample for electrophoresis, samples of the DNA being investigated (a) are put into each of four tubes and induced to replicate (b). Also, into the first tube, an adenine terminator was added in addition to all the other nucleotides. As the complementary strand was being constructed, the terminators were occasionally incorporated wherever an adenine nucleotide was used. This random incorporation resulted in all possible lengths of DNA pieces that had an adenine on the end (c). The same process was conducted in the other tubes with thymine, guanine and cytosine terminators; one treatment for each of the four lanes in the gel. Electrophoresis separated the replicated pieces of DNA by size. Staining the gel revealed which lengths of the complementary DNA were terminated by which nucleotide terminators (d). The gel consists of four “lanes,” labeled A, T, G, and C, indicating either adenine, thymine, guanine, or cytosine terminated pieces of DNA. By “reading” down the gel, you…arrow_forwardWhy can’t a linear duplex DNA, such as that of bacteriophage T7, be fully replicated by just E. coli-encoded proteins?arrow_forward
- Why is the replication of DNA referred to as a semiconservative process? What is the experimental evidence for the semiconservative nature of the process? What experimental results would you expect if replication of DNA were a conservative process?arrow_forwardHow many unique primers are required to amplify a single DNA target region? a) 1 b) 2 c) 4 d) number varies according to length of target regionarrow_forwardWhich of the following enzymes remove supercoiling in replicating DNA ahead of the replication fork?a) DNA polymerasesb) Helicasesc) Primasesd) Topoisomerasesarrow_forward
- a) "Out of three E.coli DNA polymerases, DNA polymerases 3 has a high processivity and rate of polymerization and therefore better suited for replication of the genome" What is meant by processivity? how does the DNA polymerase 3 maintain high processivity? b) What is a replication fork ?. Give the protein/enzymes of a replication fork and describe their function?arrow_forwardIt is desired to isolate genomic DNA from liquid culture of S. cerevisiae yeast. A commercial kit will be used to isolate genomic DNA from this liquid culture. Answer the following questions to understand the strategy used by commercial kits for genomic DNA isolation. a) List all the steps from cell pellet preparation to DNA elution. b) With which feature can the membrane in the column that comes with the commercial kit bind DNA? c) Which component in the kit would you use to recover the DNA from the membrane of the column to which the DNA was attached?arrow_forwardWhich of the following reactions is required for proofreading during DNA replication by DNA polymerase III?a) 5’ to 3’ exonuclease activityb) 3’ to 5’ exonuclease activityc) 3’ to 5’ endonuclease activityd) 5’ to 3’ endonuclease activityarrow_forward
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