What term describes a DNA sequence with repeating bases that can lead to replication errors during copying?

What term describes a DNA sequence with repeating bases that can lead to replication errors during copying?

• A. Hotspot
• B. Mutational sink
• C. Repeating DNA
• D. Slippery DNA

Answer: (D)

Repeating DNA sequences create a setup where the DNA polymerase can slip during replication, causing misalignment and the formation of loops in either the new or the template strand. This mispairing leads to insertions or deletions, so certain regions become prone to replication errors. The term describing this situation is slippery DNA, which specifically names the misalignment and slippage that occur in repeats. Other options don’t capture this mechanism: a hotspot refers to regions with higher mutation rates in general, mutational sink isn’t a standard term for this context, and repeating DNA is too generic to convey the error-prone slippage process.

Repeating DNA sequences create a setup where the DNA polymerase can slip during replication, causing misalignment and the formation of loops in either the new or the template strand. This mispairing leads to insertions or deletions, so certain regions become prone to replication errors. The term describing this situation is slippery DNA, which specifically names the misalignment and slippage that occur in repeats. Other options don’t capture this mechanism: a hotspot refers to regions with higher mutation rates in general, mutational sink isn’t a standard term for this context, and repeating DNA is too generic to convey the error-prone slippage process.