AP BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -DNA ligases are best known for their role in joining adjacent Okazaki fragments at the lagging strand of the replication fork; however, they are essentially involved in any process that requires sealing of phosphodiester bonds from the DNA backbone.

Detailed explanation-2: -The enzyme DNA ligase joins these fragments to produce a single, continuous strand of DNA. It does so by creating bonds called phosphodiester bonds between the sugar and phosphate groups of nucleotides on adjacent fragments.

Detailed explanation-3: -On the lagging strand, DNA synthesis restarts many times as the helix unwinds, resulting in many short fragments called “Okazaki fragments.” DNA ligase joins the Okazaki fragments together into a single DNA molecule.

Detailed explanation-4: -DNA ligases catalyze the formation of phosphodiester bonds between adjacent 5′P and 3′OH ends in the backbone of double-stranded DNA and have a conserved core structure comprising the catalytic adenylation (AD) domain and an oligonucleotide-binding (OB) domain joined by a flexible linker region (1).