How Do Bacteria Determine Which is the Newly-Synthesized DNA Strand

Question

How do bacteria determine which is the newly-synthesized DNA strand during mismatch repair?
A) The new DNA strand is not methylated
B) The new DNA strand contains phosphate
C) MutH protein is bound to the new DNA strand
D) MutS protein recognizes the mismatched bases

Accepted Answer

The new DNA strand is not methylated immediately after synthesis, allowing the mismatch repair system to distinguish it from the old, methylated strand. This difference is crucial for the repair system to correct errors on the newly synthesized strand.