Base-excision repair is a pathway that corrects common DNA lesions. What is the first step in this repair process?

Correct answer: A DNA glycosylase recognizes and removes the damaged base by cleaving the N-glycosyl bond.

Explanation

Base-excision repair (BER) is a multi-step process for fixing common, non-bulky DNA lesions. It is initiated by a specific DNA glycosylase that recognizes and removes only the damaged base, creating an abasic (AP) site, which is then processed by other enzymes.

Other questions

Question 1

In the Meselson-Stahl experiment, what was the composition of DNA molecules after E. coli cells grown in a 15N medium were transferred to a 14N medium and allowed to complete one round of replication?

Question 2

What is the primary direction of DNA synthesis for a new strand, and what does this require at the growing end of the chain?

Question 3

In E. coli DNA replication, what is the term for the short, discontinuously synthesized pieces of DNA on the lagging strand?

Question 4

What are the two central requirements for all DNA polymerases to initiate DNA synthesis?

Question 5

The 3' to 5' exonuclease activity found in most DNA polymerases provides which function?

Question 6

Which E. coli DNA polymerase is the principal replication enzyme?

Question 7

The processivity of the E. coli DNA polymerase III holoenzyme is dramatically increased by which component?

Question 8

What is the primary function of the DnaA protein in the initiation of replication in E. coli?

Question 9

The enzyme DNA ligase seals a broken phosphodiester bond in DNA. In E. coli, what molecule is used as the source of the AMP activating group for this reaction?

Question 10

Termination of replication in the circular E. coli chromosome involves Tus protein binding to which specific sequences?

Question 11

How does replication in eukaryotes differ from bacterial replication regarding origins of replication?

Question 12

What is the primary role of the DNA repair system involving DNA photolyases?

Question 13

The methyl-directed mismatch repair system in E. coli uses which mechanism to distinguish the template strand from the newly synthesized strand?

Question 14

What is the function of the enzyme O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase?

Question 15

Which type of genetic recombination involves the exchange between any two DNA molecules that share an extended region of nearly identical sequence?

Question 16

What is the key protein that promotes DNA strand invasion during homologous recombination in E. coli?

Question 17

What is the name of the X-shaped crossover structure formed during homologous recombination where two DNA duplexes are joined?

Question 18

In the context of immunoglobulin gene assembly, what is the function of the RAG1 and RAG2 proteins?

Question 19

A bacterial strain with an altered gene for DNA polymerase I produces an inactive enzyme but is still viable, though it is abnormally sensitive to agents that damage DNA. What does this observation, made by John Cairns, suggest about DNA polymerase I?

Question 20

The polymerization rate of E. coli DNA polymerase III is approximately 250 to 1,000 nucleotides per second. How does this compare to the polymerization rate of DNA polymerase I?

Question 21

The E. coli DNA replication origin, oriC, consists of 245 base pairs. Which two types of sequence elements are of special interest within this region?

Question 22

Which eukaryotic DNA polymerase is primarily responsible for synthesizing the short RNA/DNA primers for Okazaki fragments on the lagging strand?

Question 23

The eukaryotic protein PCNA (proliferating cell nuclear antigen) is functionally and structurally analogous to which bacterial replication protein?

Question 25

In the nucleotide-excision repair pathway in E. coli, the ABC excinuclease hydrolyzes two phosphodiester bonds. What is the size of the resulting excised DNA fragment?

Question 26

What type of DNA damage is repaired by the error-prone translesion DNA synthesis (TLS) pathway, part of the SOS response in bacteria?

Question 27

The process of DNA transposition is distinct from homologous and site-specific recombination because it usually involves what?

Question 28

What is the primary role of homologous genetic recombination in bacterial cells?

Question 29

The error rate of E. coli DNA replication is one mistake for every 10^9 to 10^10 nucleotides added. This high fidelity is achieved by a combination of mechanisms. What is the approximate error rate of the DNA polymerase polymerization reaction alone, before proofreading?

Question 30

What is the function of the enzyme primase (DnaG protein) in E. coli DNA replication?