Final answer:
The statement that retroviruses produce many proteins from a single initial transcript is true. Retroviruses, including HIV, use the enzyme reverse transcriptase to convert their RNA genomes into DNA, which then gets integrated and translated to produce multiple proteins.
Step-by-step explanation:
Retroviruses, such as HIV, do produce many proteins from a single initial transcript, so the correct answer to the question is a) True. Upon infection of a host cell, the retroviral single-stranded RNA genome is reverse transcribed into DNA by the enzyme reverse transcriptase.
This DNA is then integrated into the host's genome, transcribed again into mRNA, and translated into various proteins required for the assembly of new virions. Retroviruses are unique because they're able to produce their own enzymes, like reverse transcriptase, that are not present in the host cell. This process allows retroviruses to generate multiple proteins, including enzymes and structural components necessary for viral replication.