When DNA probes are used to identify bacterial DNA similarities by hybridization, the probe DNA is heated and the template DNA is treated to separate the two strands. Why would the probe DNA be heated?
A) This is the only way to properly label the probe DNA.
B) The probe may contain parts that are double-stranded. Heating it up breaks the hydrogen bonds holding the strands together, creating single-stranded sequences that hybridize with their complementary targets.
C) Heating it up activates the tag on the probe DNA before it hybridizes to the bacterial template DNA.
D) DNA hybridization can only take place at high temperatures, so all the DNA must be heated up prior to hybridization.
E) The probe may contain many parts that are single-stranded. Heating it up creates hydrogen bonds that hold the probe tightly to its complementary target sequences.

Question

When DNA probes are used to identify bacterial DNA similarities by hybridization, the probe DNA is heated and the template DNA is treated to separate the two strands. Why would the probe DNA be heated?
A) This is the only way to properly label the probe DNA.
B) The probe may contain parts that are double-stranded. Heating it up breaks the hydrogen bonds holding the strands together, creating single-stranded sequences that hybridize with their complementary targets.
C) Heating it up activates the tag on the probe DNA before it hybridizes to the bacterial template DNA.
D) DNA hybridization can only take place at high temperatures, so all the DNA must be heated up prior to hybridization.
E) The probe may contain many parts that are single-stranded. Heating it up creates hydrogen bonds that hold the probe tightly to its complementary target sequences.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The probe may contain parts that are double-stranded. Heating it up breaks the hydrogen bonds holding the strands together, creating single-stranded sequences that hybridize with their complementary targets.

When DNA Probes Are Used to Identify Bacterial DNA Similarities