[Campbell Biology P.374] According to the provided figures and text, what is the primary rol... | Practice Question

According to the provided figures and text, what is the primary role of DNA ligase in DNA replication, specifically during lagging strand synthesis?

  • A: To synthesize the initial RNA primers for Okazaki fragments.
  • B: To add DNA nucleotides to the RNA primer, forming Okazaki fragments.
  • C: To replace RNA nucleotides of the primers with DNA nucleotides.
  • D: To join the sugar-phosphate backbones of adjacent Okazaki fragments.
  • E: To unwind the DNA double helix, separating the two parental strands.

Explanation

DNA ligase is responsible for forming the phosphodiester bond that connects the sugar-phosphate backbones of adjacent Okazaki fragments, creating a continuous DNA strand.