Which of the following statements about telomerase is FALSE?
(I)Telomerase is an RNA polymerase.
(II)Telomerase has a 5'-3' polymerase activity.
(III)Telomerase uses RNA as a template.
(IV)The product of the telomerase-catalyzed reaction is rich in G and T.

Question

Which of the following statements about telomerase is FALSE?
(I)Telomerase is an RNA polymerase.
(II)Telomerase has a 5'->3' polymerase activity.
(III)Telomerase uses RNA as a template.
(IV)The product of the telomerase-catalyzed reaction is rich in G and T.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Telomerase is not an RNA polymerase, it is a reverse transcriptase enzyme. Therefore, statement (I) is false. Statement (II) is true, as telomerase extends the 3' end of DNA strands using its polymerase activity in the 5'->3' direction. Statement (III) is also true, as telomerase uses its internal RNA component as a template for DNA strand synthesis. Statement (IV) is partially true, as the product of telomerase-catalyzed reaction is rich in G and, depending on the DNA strand being synthesized, it may also be rich in T. Therefore, the only false statement is (I).

Which of the Following Statements About Telomerase Is FALSE