Question

Which proteins are necessary to maintain the separated strands during PhiX174 replication of the leading strand?

A) Single-Strand Binding Proteins (SSB)
B) DNA Polymerase III
C) Helicase
D) Primase

Answer 1

Single-Strand Binding Proteins (SSB) are necessary to maintain the separation of DNA strands during PhiX174 replication of the leading strand, preventing the single-strands from re-annealing.The right answer option A)

Step-by-step explanation:

The proteins necessary to maintain the separated strands during PhiX174 replication of the leading strand are Single-Strand Binding Proteins (SSB). These proteins bind to the single-stranded DNA after the helicase enzyme has separated the strands at the origin of replication. This action by SSB proteins prevents the DNA from re-annealing or forming secondary structures, thereby allowing the replication machinery, including DNA Polymerase III, to synthesize the new strand effectively.