Answer:
The enzyme Topoisomerase functions to prevent super-coiling of the DNA molecule during replication.
Explanation:
- During replication, topoisomerases are required to relieve the positive supercoiling that arises from DNA unwiding mediated by Helicases.
- A DNA topoisomerase is a nuclease that breaks a phosphodiester bond in a DNA strand.
- All topoiomereases are classified as Topoisomerase I and Topoisomerase II depending on whether they cleave one or two strands respectively.
- Topoisomerase I do not use ATP as a source of energy, the reaction is powered by energy stored in super-coiled DNA.
- Topoisomerase II also do not require external energy but it utilizes ATP hydrolysis to drive conformation changes in the protein during reaction cycle.
