Researchers Found a Strain of E

Multiple Choice

Researchers found a strain of E. coli bacteria that had mutation rates one hundred times higher than normal. Which of the following statements correctly describes the most likely cause of these results?

A) The single-strand binding proteins were malfunctioning during DNA replication.
B) There were one or more base pair mismatches in the RNA primer.
C) The proofreading mechanism of DNA polymerase was not working properly.
D) The DNA polymerase was unable to add bases to the 3′ end of the growing nucleic acid chain.