Final answer:
The β clamp is the noncatalytic subunit of the replisome that keeps DNA polymerase associated with the DNA template. It is part of the DNA polymerase III holoenzyme in prokaryotes, and its role is to increase the processivity of the polymerase during DNA replication.
Step-by-step explanation:
The noncatalytic subunit of the replisome that keeps DNA polymerase associated with the DNA template is known as the β clamp (option c). In prokaryotes, specifically in E. coli, the α subunit, along with the ε (εpsilon) and θ (theta) subunits, form the core enzyme of the DNA polymerase III holoenzyme, which is the main polymerase involved in the replication of DNA. The β clamp, which is part of the DNA polymerase III holoenzyme, enhances the processivity of the enzyme, allowing it to synthesize DNA rapidly and efficiently without falling off the template.
The telomerase enzyme is responsible for maintaining the ends of linear chromosomes (option d), and DNA ligase is the enzyme likely to be mutated when the joining of Okazaki fragments is impaired. Furthermore, in eukaryotes, DNA is wrapped around histones, and during DNA replication, the enzyme DNA polymerase delta functions in association with proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). It should be noted that in Sanger sequencing, the further development of a DNA strand is prevented by the addition of dideoxynucleotides (option b).