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Can (-)ssRNA be directly translated?

User Thalsan
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Final answer:

Negative single-strand RNA (-ssRNA) cannot be directly translated and must first be converted to positive single-strand RNA (+ssRNA) by the enzyme RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP) before ribosomes can translate it into viral proteins.

Step-by-step explanation:

No, -ssRNA (negative single-strand RNA) cannot be directly translated into proteins. Unlike its counterpart, +ssRNA (positive single-strand RNA), which can be readily used by the ribosomes in a similar way to the cell’s own messenger RNA (mRNA), -ssRNA must first undergo a process of conversion. This conversion involves the enzyme RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP), which the virus must bring into the host cell. The RdRP synthesizes a complementary +ssRNA strand from the original negative-stranded genome.

Once the +ssRNA is synthesized, it can then act as mRNA, which ribosomes can translate into viral proteins. This is a crucial step for Group V viruses, which possess -ssRNA genomes and must generate these complementary strands to facilitate the production of new viral components within the host cell.

User Boaz Rymland
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