#Question id: 3843
#Unit 3. Fundamental Processes
In DNA replication in E. coli, the enzyme primase is used to attach a 5 to 10 base ribonucleotide strand complementary to the parental DNA strand. The RNA strand serves as a starting point for the DNA polymerase that replicates the DNA. If a mutation occurred in the primase gene, which of the following results would you expect?
#Question id: 3844
#Unit 3. Fundamental Processes
The lagging strand is characterized by a series of short segments of DNA (Okazaki fragments) that will be joined together to form a finished lagging strand. The experiments that led to the discovery of Okazaki fragments gave evidence for which of the following ideas?
#Question id: 3845
#Unit 3. Fundamental Processes
The replisome, which synthesizes DNA on both leading and lagging strands, always moves toward the replication fork. This must mean that:
#Question id: 3846
#Unit 3. Fundamental Processes
A heat-sensitive DNA ligase (25°C permissive, 37°C nonpermissive) has been used to show that DNA synthesis is discontinuous. Examination of DNA replication in the presence of [3H]-thymidine in the mutant would demonstrate which of following?
#Question id: 4818
#Unit 3. Fundamental Processes
Researchers found a strain of E. coli bacteria that had mutation rates one hundred times higher than normal. Which of the following statements correctly describes the most likely cause of these results?
#Question id: 4950
#Unit 3. Fundamental Processes
Temperature-sensitive (ts) mutations, which are one form of conditional lethal mutation, allow cells to grow at one temperature (for example, 30°C) but not at a higher temperature (for example, 42°C). A large number of temperature-sensitive replication mutants have been isolated in E. coli. These mutant bacteria are defective in DNA replication at 42°C but not at 30°C. If the temperature of the medium is raised from 30°C to 42°C, these mutants stop making DNA in one of two characteristic ways. The “quick-stop” mutants halt DNA synthesis immediately, whereas the “slow-stop” mutants stop DNA synthesis only after many minutes. Extracts from quick-stop mutants halt DNA synthesis immediately at 42°C, whereas extracts from slow-stop mutants do not stop DNA synthesis for several minutes after a shift to 42°C. Suppose extracts from a temperature-sensitive DNA helicase mutant and a temperature-sensitive DNA ligase mutant were mixed together at 42°C. Which of the following statements are correct?
A. The mixed extracts should be fully competent for DNA replication at 30°C; that is, the mixture should exhibit a nonmutant phenotype.
B. The defective DNA helicase extract would provide normal DNA ligase, and the defective DNA ligase extract would provide normal DNA helicase.
C. In practice, the behaviors of extracts from slow-stop mutants and from nonmutant cells are easy to distinguish.
D. Because of the extreme complexity of DNA replication and the large number of proteins involved, cell-free extracts are not capable of maintaining DNA replication indefinitely.