With respect to nucleic acid hybridization, which, if any, of the following statements is false?
A) The strength of base pairing between a probe and a complementary target sequence depends on the number of stable base pairs that are formed.
B) Among other parameters, the hybridization stringency depends on the salt concentration and temperature of the hybridization reaction.
C) To identify a target sequence that is distantly related to the probe, high stringency hybridization needs to be used.
D) Under conditions that favor low hybridization stringency long heteroduplexes with significant base mismatching may be stable.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

High stringency conditions (high temperature, low salt concentration) are used to ensure that only sequences with high similarity to the probe will hybridize, making it less suitable for identifying distantly related target sequences. Lower stringency conditions are typically used to identify sequences that are not completely complementary or are distantly related.

With Respect to Nucleic Acid Hybridization, Which, If Any, of the Following