Question:medium

Klenow fragment is derived from __________.

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This fragment is created by removing the 5' to 3' exonuclease domain from a specific bacterial polymerase.
Updated On: Jul 4, 2026
  • DNA ligase
  • DNA Polymerase I
  • Reverse transcriptase
  • DNA Polymerase III
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The Correct Option is B

Solution and Explanation

Step 1: E. coli DNA Polymerase I is a multifunctional enzyme carrying three separate activities in one polypeptide: 5' to 3' polymerase activity, 3' to 5' proofreading exonuclease activity, and 5' to 3' exonuclease activity used in Okazaki fragment processing.
Step 2: When this full-length enzyme is cleaved proteolytically, one large fragment retains only the polymerase and proofreading exonuclease functions while losing the 5' to 3' exonuclease domain, and this large fragment is what researchers call the Klenow fragment, widely used in labs for DNA labelling and blunting reactions.
Step 3: Since it is specifically a cleaved portion of DNA Polymerase I and not derived from ligase, reverse transcriptase, or Polymerase III, the correct source enzyme is DNA Polymerase I.
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