1.

The component(s) of DNA which is responsible for the absorbance band at 250270 nm is
a. bases, pentoses, and phosphates all contribute
b. only bases
c. only bases and pentoses
d. only pentoses and phosphates
B
2. The oligonucleotide, AUGGp, has all these properties except
a. composed of ribonucleotides
b. contains a 3' phosphate
c. composed of deoxyribonucleotides
d. contains three phosphodiester bonds
C
3. An individual heterogeneous nuclear RNA (hnRNA)
a. contains intron sequences not found in the final mature mRNA.
b. contains exon sequences which are removed prior to translation.
c. encodes more than one protein.
d. can be found in the cytoplasm.
A
4. The RNA molecules which are involved in processing the hnRNA are
a. mRNA
b. tRNA
c. rRNA
d. snRNA
D
5. What statement is incorrect about the different RNA molecules?
a. tRNAs contain numerous intramolecular hydrogen bonds between bases.
b. There are more distinct tRNA molecules than there are rRNA molecules.
c. rRNAs are complexed to proteins in the ribosome.
d. The most abundant RNA molecule in the cell is mRNA.
D
6. Which of the following is not a characteristic for DNA synthesis?
a. DNA polymerase adds nucleotides in a 5'--> 3' direction
b. a primer strand of DNA must contain a free 3'-OH end
c. the primer strand of DNA determines which nucleotides are added next
d. the correct complementary hydrogen bonding between base pairs is the
primary check on the fidelity of the newly synthesized DNA

C
7. A DNA is found to exhibit a melting temperature of 75 C in 0.1 M NaCl. Under what
experimental conditions would the Tm be increased?
a. decreasing the concentration of DNA.
b. increasing the concentration of NaCl in the solution.
c. adding 1% urea (an organic denaturant).
d. all of the above.
B
8. The units involved in hydrogen bonding in guanine in a (GC) base pair are
a. carbonyl oxygen on C-6 and the lone pair on N-1
b. carbonyl oxygen on C-6, the amino hydrogen at N-1, and the amino
hydrogen on C-2
c. carbonyl oxygen on C-6, the lone pair on N-1, and the amino hydrogen on C2
d. carbonyl oxygen on C-6, amino hydrogen on N-1, and lone pair on N-7
SKIP. NOT RELEVANT
9. A feature which is distinctive to Z-DNA is
a. a left-handed helix
b. It has 12 bases per turn
c. it is found in vivo
d. all of the above
D
10. The linking number of a highly supercoiled plasmid can be readily changed
without producing a relaxed DNA by
a. changing the temperature
b. increasing salt concentration
c. the action of topoisomerase
d. the action of a nuclease such as pancreatic DNase
C
11. Which of the following double-stranded DNAs may convert to a cruciform
structure?
a. ATGCATGCATGCATGC
TACGTACGTACGTACG
b. CATTAAGCAGTGCTTAAGA
GTAATTCGTCACGAATTCT
c. ATATATATGCGCGCGCGC
TATATATACGCGCGCGCG
d. AAAAAAAAACCCCCCCCC

TTTTTTTTTGGGGGGGG
B
12. Which statement is incorrect about the structure of native E. coli chromosomal
DNA?
a. The DNA is primarily in the B-helix.
b. The DNA is circular and supercoiled
c. The DNA exists as a right-handed double helix.
d. The DNA is one large linear piece about 4000 kb in length.
D
13. E. coli DNA polymerase I has all the following characteristics except
a. a 5'-3' exonuclease activity on a second subunit in the polymerase
b. a 3'-5' exonuclease activity
c. a 5'-3' DNA polymerase activity
d. modest processivity (ca. 20 nucleotides)
A
14. In the repair of DNA, the E. coli DNA polymerase involved performs which
function in addition to its polymerase activity?
a. It recognizes the abnormality in the duplex DNA structure.
b. It nicks the DNA to provide a 3'-OH.
c. It removes the damaged section of DNA with its 5'-3' exonuclease activity.
d. It ligates the DNA after the repair synthesis.
C (a. is performed by glycosidase which removes wrong base. Then, AP endo,
exo, pol 1)
15. The Klenow fragment of E. coli DNA polymerase I can be used to add nucleotides
to a DNA with staggered ends if the ends
a. are recessed with 5'-phosphates
b. are recessed with 3'-OHs
c. are extended with 5'-phosphates
d. are extended with 3'-OHs
B
16. Which of the following is not a characteristic of replication of the E. coli circular
chromosome?
a. Replication is bidirectional.
b. It initiates at a unique position called oriC.
c. Torsional stress introduced in the duplex DNA is relieved by DNA gyrase.
d. The unwinding of the duplex DNA is driven by the translocation of the DNA
polymerase.

D
17. E. coli replication on the lagging strand
a. is primarily carried out by DNA polymerase I
b. is synthesized continuously
c. this DNA strand is synthesized in a 3'-5'direction of synthesis
d. is initially synthesized as Okazaki fragments
D
18. Which one of the following characteristics is not associated with E. coli primase?
a. It synthesizes the RNA primer in DNA replication.
b. It is a specific RNA polymerase.
c. It is essential for DNA replication.
d. It is also a gyrase
D
19. The polymerase which plays a similar role as that of Prokaryotic polII in
eukaryotic replication is?
a. DNA polymerase
b. DNA polymerase
c. DNA polymerase
d. DNA polymerase
POLYMERASE delta

PAGE 6

20. Which is not a property of E. coli DNA polymerase III?

a. It is responsible for incorporating most of the nucleotides in the lagging
strand.
b. It synthesizes most of the leading strand prior to aiding in the synthesis of
the lagging strand.
c. It contains a 3 to 5 exonuclease activity.
d. It synthesizes the leading strand and the lagging strand at the same time
B (Pol 3 makes most of the DNA and Pol1 only removes RNA primers)
21. Which statement is incorrect about E. coli DNA polymerase I?
a. The cell contains more molecules of DNA pol I than DNA pol III.
b. DNA pol I is a single polypeptide with three domains.
c. DNA pol I is involved in the repair of UV damaged DNA.
d. DNA pol I has a larger turnover number than DNA pol III.
D
22. Which E. coli enzyme has the greatest frequency of incorporating the incorrect
nucleotide into its nucleic acid polymer?
a. RNA polymerase
b. DNA polymerase I

c. DNA Polymerase III

d. Klenow fragment from DNA polymerase I
A
23. DNA-dependent RNA polymerase acts on the DNA template in eukaryotic cells in
the synthesis of
a. a 5'-3' hnRNA transcript as the RNA polymerase moves in the 3'-5' direction
on the DNA template
b. a mature RNA transcript as the RNA polymerase moves in the 5'-3' direction
c. an RNA transcript, with the sigma subunit of polymerase dissociating after
the initiation event
d. an RNA transcript, which is complementary to the sense strand of the DNA,
except for the replacement of uridines for the thymidines