Gyrase breaks the hydrogen bonds between DNA strands and unwinds the DNA strands while topoisomerases relieve the coiling tension that develops as the helix unwinds.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Gyrase, a type of topoisomerase, specifically introduces negative supercoils into DNA, relieving the tension from supercoiling, while topoisomerases more broadly can either introduce or remove supercoils and are involved in untangling DNA. The breaking of hydrogen bonds between DNA strands is primarily the job of helicases during DNA replication.

Gyrase Breaks the Hydrogen Bonds Between DNA Strands and Unwinds