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Multiple Choice
The enzyme which targets phage (viral) DNA and destroys it before it can infect the bacterial cell is known as?
A
Cas.
B
CRISPR.
C
Spacer.
D
Phage.
Verified step by step guidance
1
Understand the context: The problem is about a bacterial defense mechanism against phage (viral) DNA.
Identify the components involved in the bacterial immune system: CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) and associated proteins like Cas (CRISPR-associated proteins).
Recognize the role of Cas proteins: Cas proteins are enzymes that can cut DNA at specific sites, and they are crucial in the CRISPR-Cas system for targeting and destroying phage DNA.
Differentiate between the terms: 'CRISPR' refers to the entire system, 'Cas' refers to the specific proteins that perform the cutting, 'Spacer' refers to the DNA sequences derived from previous phage infections, and 'Phage' is the virus itself.
Conclude which component directly targets and destroys phage DNA: Cas proteins are the enzymes that perform the cutting of phage DNA, thus preventing infection.