[Campbell Biology P.472] The restriction enzyme PvuI makes staggered cuts between the T and ... | Practice Question

The restriction enzyme PvuI makes staggered cuts between the T and C on each strand of its recognition site 5′-CGATCG-3′ / 3′-GCTAGC-5′ . What type of bonds are primarily being cleaved by PvuI during this process?

  • A: Hydrogen bonds between complementary base pairs.
  • B: Ionic bonds within the sugar-phosphate backbone.
  • C: Phosphodiester bonds within the sugar-phosphate backbone.
  • D: Peptide bonds between amino acid residues.

Explanation

Restriction enzymes cut DNA by cleaving the phosphodiester bonds that link nucleotides together to form the sugar-phosphate backbone of each DNA strand. Staggered cuts create 'sticky ends' but still involve breaking these covalent bonds within the backbone.