Which enzyme is responsible for unwinding the DNA double helix at the replication fork by breaking hydrogen bonds between base pairs?
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Correct answer: DNA helicase
DNA helicase unwinds the double helix by breaking hydrogen bonds between complementary base-pairs, creating single-stranded template DNA for replication to proceed.
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More DNA Structure and Replication questions
- Why must DNA replication be initiated with a primer rather than directly by DNA polymerase?
- What distinguishes leading-strand synthesis from lagging-strand synthesis during DNA replication?
- Which enzyme joins Okazaki fragments on the lagging strand to create a continuous DNA strand?
- Which of the following proteins stabilize single-stranded DNA during replication to prevent re-annealing or degradation?
- What is the role of topoisomerase (or DNA gyrase in prokaryotes) during DNA replication?
- Which DNA polymerase performs the bulk of leading-strand synthesis in prokaryotes during replication?