In: Biology
533. You have added a drug that reduces the activity of the enzyme topoisomerase (gyrase). What will happen to the rate of activity of the helicase at the replication fork? Explain your reasoning.
534. You have added a drug that reduces the activity of the enzyme topoisomerase (gyrase). What will happen to the rate of activity of the DNA Polymerase activity on the leading strand? Explain your reasoning.
535. You have added a drug that reduces DNA Ligase activity. What will happen to the rate at which Okazaki fragments are joined on the lagging strand? Explain your reasoning.
536. You have added a drug that reduces DNA Ligase activity. What will happen to the rate at which Okazaki fragments are synthesized on the lagging strand? Explain your reasoning.
Answer for question no 533 : Rate of activity of helicase will decrease.
Explanation : Helicase breaks the hydrogen bond between the nitrogen bases and unwind the double stranded DNA into two single strands. Whereas, the main function of gyrase or topoisomerase is to induce or remove supercoils in the unwinded strands that ultimately helps the single strands to remain unwinded for longer time by removing topological strain. So, in the process of replication gyrase have to work before helicase. Advancing helicase induce additional positive supercoils ahead of it, that needs to be continously removed by DNA topoisomerase.
So, If we treat a drug which reduce the activity of gyrase, the activity of helicase at the replication fork will decrease subsequently.
Answer for question no 534 : Rate of activity of DNA polymerase on the leading strand will decrease.
Explanation : As the topoisomerase activity has been reduced so it will not be able to remove the positive supercoils induced by the advancing DNA polymerase (as it synthesizes the leading strand) ahead of it, at the same rate as it was used to do earlier.
As a result, the rate of advancement i. e. the activity of the DNA polymerase enzyme on the leading strand will also be reduced.
Answer for question no 535 : Rate at which Okazaki fragments are joined on the lagging strand will decrease.
Explanation : Ligase can join okazaki fragments in the lagging strand. Okazaki fragments are small DNA sequences (about 150-200 bp long) which are formed discontinously in the lagging strand. So, these fragments are need to be linked together to form the continuous strand.
So, With reducing activity of ligase the rate of joining of Okazaki fragment will also decrease eventually.
Answer for question no 536 : Rate at which Okazaki fragments are synthesized on the lagging strand will remain unaffected.
Explanation : Okazaki fragments are synthesized on the lagging strand with the help of DNA primase and DNA polymerase. Ligase is only important in case of joining the fragments.
So, If we treat one drug that reduces DNA ligase activity, the rate of synthesis of Okazaki fragment will remain unchanged.