Protein X recognizes and binds to a particular (normal and undamaged)DNA sequence.Which statement applies?
A)The protein can recognize the sequence by accessing the bases at the major or minor groove.
B)The protein can recognize sequence-dependent differences in the distance between the sugar-phosphate backbones of the two strands.
C)The protein must have a cofactor to separate the DNA strands to access and recognize the sequence.
D)The protein must be dimeric to recognize the complementary sequences on each strand.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Proteins that recognize and bind to specific DNA sequences do so by accessing the specific base sequence in either the major or minor groove of the DNA double helix. This allows the protein to form hydrogen bonds and other interactions with the specific bases in the sequence.

Option B is incorrect because while DNA-binding proteins can recognize local variations in the distance between sugar-phosphate backbones on a single strand of DNA, this is not typically how they recognize specific DNA sequences.

Option C is incorrect because while some DNA-binding proteins require the assistance of cofactors or other proteins to bind to DNA, this is not a universal requirement.

Option D is incorrect because many DNA-binding proteins only bind to one strand of DNA and do not require a partner protein to recognize a specific sequence.

Protein X Recognizes and Binds to a Particular (Normal and Undamaged)DNA