The enzyme telomerase solves the problem of replication at the ends of linear chromosomes by which method?
A) adding a single 5' cap structure that resists degradation by nucleases
B) causing specific double-strand DNA breaks that result in blunt ends on both strands
C) causing linear ends of the newly replicated DNA to circularize
D) adding numerous short DNA sequences such as TTAGGG, which form a hairpin turn
E) adding numerous GC pairs which resist hydrolysis and maintain chromosome integrity

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Telomerase adds numerous short DNA sequences composed of TTAGGG to the 3' end of the new DNA strand during replication, which creates a hairpin turn that serves as a buffer to prevent the loss of important genetic information. This is how the enzyme solves the problem of replication at the ends of linear chromosomes.

The Enzyme Telomerase Solves the Problem of Replication at the Ends