Question

Werner syndrome associated with premature aging is caused due to a defect in which of the following ?

• A. Telomerase
• B. Caspase
• C. DNA topoisomerase
• D. DNA helicase

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

Werner syndrome is a rare, autosomal recessive disorder characterized by premature aging. The primary cause of this syndrome is a defect in a specific enzyme responsible for maintaining DNA stability during replication—a critical process in cellular division and repair.

This defect occurs in DNA helicase. DNA helicases are essential enzymes that unwind DNA strands, effectively separating the two complementary strands of the DNA double helix. This unwinding is crucial for replication, transcription, and repair mechanisms.

In Werner syndrome, the impaired function of the DNA helicase leads to genomic instability, accelerated aging, and various associated diseases. Therefore, a defect in DNA helicase is the primary cause of Werner syndrome.

The correct answer is:

• DNA helicase