How Might a Thermophilic Bacterium Use Chromosome Structure to Protect

Multiple Choice

How might a thermophilic bacterium use chromosome structure to protect against heat-induced DNA degradation?

A) It expresses excess amounts of SMC proteins that allow the DNA to more tightly condense during periods of high heat.
B) It can express a specialized topoisomerase that induces negative supercoiling, which provides additional chromosomal stability.
C) It expresses a specialized topoisomerase that induces positive supercoiling, which provides additional chromosomal stability.
D) It expresses enzymes that inhibit topoisomerase during high heat, which prevents DNA from unwinding and becoming susceptible to heat degradation.
E) It expresses helicase, an enzyme that nicks the DNA helix and allows it to assume a more stable conformation and thus to resist heat-induced degradation.