Final answer:
In base excision repair of nucleotide mismatches and damaged bases, DNA glycosylases are the enzymes that remove the damaged bases, initiating the repair process.
Step-by-step explanation:
The enzymes that play a key role in the base excision repair (BER) of nucleotide mismatches and damaged bases include specific DNA glycosylases. These enzymes catalyze the hydrolysis of the damaged base from the deoxyribose in the DNA, initiating the repair process. Once the damaged base is removed, repair synthesis with DNA ligase replaces it. This repair mechanism, known as Base Excision Repair (BER), is important for maintaining the integrity of DNA. After the base is removed, an AP endonuclease recognizes the deoxyribose with the missing base, DNA polymerase then adds the correct nucleotide, and finally, DNA ligase seals the strand. Therefore, the correct answer is c. glycosylases.