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Multiple Choice
During the process of proofreading, what type of enzymatic activity does DNA polymerase utilize?
A
5' to 3' exonuclease activity
B
Endonuclease activity
C
Ligase activity
D
3' to 5' exonuclease activity
Verified step by step guidance
1
Understand the concept of proofreading in DNA replication: DNA polymerase has the ability to correct errors during DNA synthesis by removing mismatched nucleotides.
Learn about exonuclease activity: Exonuclease enzymes remove nucleotides from the ends of a DNA strand. DNA polymerase uses exonuclease activity for proofreading.
Differentiate between 5' to 3' and 3' to 5' exonuclease activity: 5' to 3' exonuclease activity removes nucleotides from the 5' end, while 3' to 5' exonuclease activity removes nucleotides from the 3' end of the DNA strand.
Recognize that during proofreading, DNA polymerase uses 3' to 5' exonuclease activity to remove mismatched nucleotides from the growing DNA strand. This ensures high fidelity in DNA replication.
Exclude other enzymatic activities: Endonuclease activity cuts within the DNA strand, not at the ends, and ligase activity joins DNA fragments together. These are not involved in proofreading by DNA polymerase.