17. In the Southern hybridization procedure, the gel after electrophoresis is treated with NaOH and then neutralized before blotting. What is the primary function of the alkaline treatment? (A) It neutralizes any acid soluble impurities in the gel. (B) It denatures the duplex DNA to single-stranded DNA (ssDNA). (C) It neutralizes any acidic phosphate groups that might prevent hybridization. (D) It inactivates any restriction endonucleases that may be in the gel. (E) It cleaves the DNA into smaller fragments to permit greater efficiency of transfer.