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Multiple Choice
2. Suppose a mutation occurs in a cell such that normal Okazaki fragments were created during
DNA replication but were not linked together into a continuous strand. The gene for which
enzyme would you predict was altered by this mutation?
A. DNA polymerase C. DNA helicase E. DNA ligase
B. RNA primase D. ssDNA binding protein
3. The genome of a typical bacterium contains about 5 x 106 base pairs and can be replicated in
about 30 minutes. The human genome is 600X larger (3 x 109 base pairs) and at the rate of a
bacterium would require 300 hours (~12 days) to be replicated; yet the entire human genome can
be replicated with several hours. How is this possible?
A. Eukaryotic DNA is simpler to replicate than prokaryotic DNA.
B. Human DNA polymerases work much faster than those of prokaryotes.
C. The nucleosomes of eukaryotic DNA allow for faster DNA replication.
D. Human DNA contains more origins of replication than prokaryotic DNA.
5. What happens after the DNA polymerase laying down a new DNA strand meets up with the
RNA primer of a preceding Okazaki fragment?
A. The other strand is then replicated in the 3 to 5’ direction.
B. The DNA polymerase reverses direction and performs error checking.
C. DNA ligase couples the two fragments together.
D. The RNA primer is removed and is replaced by DNA.
9. The best explanation for why DNA synthesis is discontinuous would be that:
A. DNA polymerase can only move along the DNA strand in one orientation.
B. This allows for efficient error checking of newly synthesized DNA.
C. DNA polymerase must stop periodically to reload more nucleotides.
D. Nucleosomes disrupt the process of DNA synthesis.
10. The experiments of Meselson and Stahl demonstrated the semiconservative mechanism of
DNA replication by showing that when 15N-loaded DNA replicates in the presence of 14N:
A. the new strand of a replicated DNA molecule contains equal amounts of 15N and 14N.
B. after one round of DNA replication, one strand of the DNA molecule contains only
14
N and the other contains only 15N.
C. after several rounds of DNA replication, all of the DNA was converted from the ‘HH’
to the ‘LH’ form.
D. after many rounds of replication, half of DNA has the ‘HH’ density and half has the
‘LL’density.
12. Much of the DNA in a eukaryotic genome is “non-coding”, i.e., it does not carry genetic code
for protein synthesis. Non-coding DNA would be found in all of the following locations,
EXCEPT:
A. in between genes C. in centromeres E. in repetitive DNA
B. in telomeres D. in exons
14. The type of mutation most commonly associated with exposure to UV light is:
A. thymine dimerization C. a base deamination
B. depurinization D. a base deletion
15. DNA repair enzymes preferentially replace mismatched bases on the newly transcribed
strand. If bases in a mismatched pair were replaced at random, what would be the effect on DNA
mutation rates?
A. Essentially no change, since base pair mismatch is an example of a ‘silent’
mutation.
B. A significant reduction in mutation rate, since replacing either base will create
proper base pairing.
C. Essentially no change, because the mismatch would be repaired during the next
round of cell division.
D. Mutation rates would increase, because 50% of the time the wrong base pair
would result.
True or false
1. Single-stranded binding proteins attach after DNA helicase separates the double helix.
2. Formation of a leading strand but not a lagging strand does not require a primer.
6. RNA primers are removed and replaced with DNA before DNA ligase links together the new
DNA strands.
1. Telomerase adds new bases to the ____ end of a DNA strand. The base sequence created by
the telomerase is a repetitive sequence for which each repeat has a length of approximately
______ bases (add number). The template for this sequence exists on a _______ molecule held in
the ________________ enzyme. After the DNA strand is extended with the addition of the
telomere repeats, the _______________ enzyme creates a complementary strand.
A. How did the 15N-Loaded DNA How did the DNA appear in gradients after growth
originally appear in the in the presence of 14N for:
density gradient 1 cell division several cell divisions
C. After how rounds of cell division are required to show definitively that DNA replication is
semiconservative? Explain.
6. Explain how telomerase and DNA polymerase operate together to lengthen the chromosomes.
Label the 3’ and 5’ ends of the strands, and modify this diagram to show where DNA polymerase
and telomerase will lengthen the strands
8. What is the sequence (1 to 6) in which these proteins function during DNA replication
____ RNA primase ____ DNA helicase
____ DNA ligase ____ Initiator proteins
____ DNA polymerase ____ RNA ribonuclease
9. Retroviruses, such as HIV, create a DNA molecule using RNA as a template, with an enzyme
called reverse transcriptase. The HIV DNA molecule is then inserted into a human chromosome,
where it is replicated by DNA polymerase each time the cell divides. Treatment of AIDS is
compounded by the high mutation rates of HIV. During which step would you expect the most
mutations to enter the HIV genome: during replication by reverse transcriptase or by DNA
polymerase? Explain.
Mechanism Description
___ DNA Polymerase proofreading A. might repair a base depurination
___ Homologous recombination B. fix a mismatch that evades DNA polymerase
___ Double strand end-joining C. occurs during DNA replication
___ Post-replication excision repair D. repairs a double strand break
___ S-phase mismatch repair E. repair results in a short deleteion
A. Place arrow heads at the ends of the newly synthesized DNA strands to indicate the
direction of DNA synthesis.
B. Place an ‘X’ in the diagram to show where the origin of replication was.
D. On each strand, number the lagging Okasaki fragments (1, 2 and 3) to show the order
in which they were produced, 1 being first.