Which of the following enzymes is used to join Okazaki fragments in DNA replication?
Which of the following enzymes is used to join Okazaki fragments in DNA replication?
Explanation
The enzyme responsible for joining Okazaki fragments during DNA replication is DNA ligase.
Okazaki fragments:
These are short, newly synthesized DNA fragments that are formed on the lagging strand during DNA replication.
Lagging Strand Synthesis:
The lagging strand is synthesized discontinuously, meaning it's made in fragments.
Role of DNA ligase:
DNA ligase catalyzes the formation of a phosphodiester bond, effectively joining the sugar-phosphate backbones of adjacent Okazaki fragments, creating a continuous, double-stranded DNA molecule.