A 65-Year-Old Woman with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Type

A 65-year-old woman with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and type II diabetes mellitus comes to the emergency department due to profound fevers and malaise.  After initial evaluation, she is hospitalized for septicemia.  Blood cultures plated on lactose-containing media grow rapidly dividing gram-negative bacteria.  Replication of these microbial cells requires synthesis of two daughter strands of DNA using the parent strands as templates.  Which of the following processes will differ the most between the 2 daughter strands formed at each replication fork?

A) Enzymatic function of DNA helicase
B) Interaction with single-stranded DNA-binding proteins
C) Joining of DNA fragments by ligase
D) Proofreading of the newly synthesized DNA
E) Relief of supercoils by topoisomerase

Correct Answer:

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