Spontaneous conversion of adenine and cytosine from the amino to the imino forms of these bases within DNA results in
A) cleavage of the glycosidic bond and loss of the base.
B) cleavage of the 3', 5' phosphodiester DNA backbone.
C) alteration of the hydrogen bonding of the bases.
D) formation of guanine and thymine.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The conversion of adenine and cytosine from the amino to the imino forms changes the positions of their hydrogen bonding groups, which alters the hydrogen bonding pattern between the base pairs and can affect overall DNA structure and stability. This can lead to errors during DNA replication and transcription. The other options are not correct as they involve more drastic changes to the DNA molecule.

Spontaneous Conversion of Adenine and Cytosine from the Amino to the Imino