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Ch. 20 - DNA Tools and Biotechnology
Campbell - Campbell Biology 12th Edition
Urry12th EditionCampbell BiologyISBN: 9785794169850Not the one you use?Change textbook
All textbooksUrry 12th EditionCh. 20 - DNA Tools and BiotechnologyProblem 7
Chapter 20, Problem 7

Which of the following sequences in double-stranded DNA is most likely to be recognized as a cutting site for a restriction enzyme?
a. AAGG TTCC
b. GGCC CCGG
c. ACCA TGGT
d. AAAA TTTT

Verified step by step guidance
1
Understand that restriction enzymes recognize specific sequences in DNA, often palindromic sequences, which are the same when read 5' to 3' on both strands.
Examine each option to determine if it is a palindromic sequence. A palindromic sequence reads the same forwards and backwards on complementary strands.
Option a: AAGG TTCC is not palindromic because the sequence does not read the same forwards and backwards.
Option b: GGCC CCGG is palindromic because when you read the sequence 5' to 3' on both strands, it is the same.
Option c: ACCA TGGT and option d: AAAA TTTT are not palindromic. ACCA TGGT does not read the same forwards and backwards, and AAAA TTTT, while symmetrical, is not typically recognized by restriction enzymes.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Restriction Enzymes

Restriction enzymes, also known as restriction endonucleases, are proteins that cut DNA at specific sequences. These enzymes recognize short, palindromic DNA sequences, which are the same when read forwards and backwards on complementary strands. They are essential tools in molecular biology for DNA manipulation and cloning.
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Palindromic Sequences

A palindromic sequence in DNA is a sequence of nucleotides that reads the same in both directions on complementary strands. For example, the sequence 'GAATTC' is palindromic because its complementary strand is 'CTTAAG', which reads the same in reverse. These sequences are often recognized by restriction enzymes as cutting sites.
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DNA Double Helix Structure

The DNA double helix consists of two complementary strands of nucleotides twisted around each other. Each strand is composed of a sugar-phosphate backbone and nitrogenous bases (adenine, thymine, cytosine, and guanine) that pair specifically (A with T, C with G). Understanding this structure is crucial for identifying palindromic sequences and restriction enzyme sites.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question

A paleontologist has recovered a bit of tissue from the 400-year-old preserved skin of an extinct dodo (a bird). To compare a specific region of the DNA from a sample with DNA from living birds, which of the following would be most useful for increasing the amount of dodo DNA available for testing?

a. SNP analysis

b. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)

c. Electroporation

d. Gel electrophoresis

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Textbook Question

Which of the following is true of cDNA produced using human brain tissue as the starting material?

a. The procedure to make it requires amplification by the polymerase chain reaction.

b. It is produced from pre-mRNA using reverse transcriptase.

c. It can be labeled and used as a probe to detect genes expressed in the brain.

d. It includes the introns of the pre-mRNA.

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Textbook Question

Expression of a cloned eukaryotic gene in a bacterial cell involves many challenges. The use of mRNA and reverse transcriptase is part of a strategy to solve the problem of

a. Post-transcriptional processing.

b. Post-translational processing.

c. Nucleic acid hybridization.

d. Restriction fragment ligation.

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