Enzymes that break down DNA catalyze the hydrolysis of the covalent bonds that join nucleotides together. What would happen to DNA molecules treated with these enzymes?
A) The two strands of the double helix would separate.
B) The phosphodiester linkages of the polynucleotide backbone would be broken.
C) The purines would be separated from the deoxyribose sugars.
D) The pyrimidines would be separated from the deoxyribose sugars.
E) All bases would be separated from the deoxyribose sugars.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Enzymes that break down DNA catalyze the hydrolysis of the phosphodiester bonds between nucleotides, which make up the polynucleotide backbone of the double helix. This results in the breaking apart of the DNA molecule into separate nucleotides or smaller fragments of nucleotides. The other options (A, C, D, E) are not correct because they do not accurately describe the action of these enzymes on DNA.

Enzymes That Break Down DNA Catalyze the Hydrolysis of the Covalent