Question

In a tobacco mosaic virus reconstitution study, we produced a hybrid virus composed of the RNA of strain A and the protein coat of strain B. If we infect a host with this hybrid virus, new virus particles will be of which strain?

a. only strain A.d. only strain C.
b. only strain B.
e. no viral particles will be produced.
c. bothstrain A and strain B.

Answer 1

New virus particles will be of strain A because the RNA, which contains the genetic information, dictates the characteristics of the progeny in a hybrid tobacco mosaic virus composed of RNA from strain A and the protein coat from strain B.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the study of the tobacco mosaic virus (TMV), if a hybrid virus is created composed of the RNA of strain A and the protein coat of strain B, and this hybrid is used to infect a host plant, the new virus particles produced will be of strain A. This is because the RNA contains the genetic information required for the production of new viruses. The protein coat from strain B serves only to protect the RNA and aid in the infection process but does not contribute to the viral replication machinery or the genetic features of the progeny. New progeny will inherit the genetic material (RNA) from the initially infected strain, which in the context of this example is strain A.