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The filamentous phages all contain

a) Single-stranded DNA.
b) Double-stranded DNA.
c) Single-stranded RNA.
d) Double-stranded RNA

User Kenny Peng
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

Filamentous phages, such as Bacteriophage M13, contain single-stranded DNA. They create a double-stranded DNA intermediate in the host bacterial cell before the original single strand is packaged into new viruses.

Step-by-step explanation:

The filamentous phages all contain single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) as their genetic material. These viruses, like the Bacteriophage M13, inject their DNA into a host bacterial cell through mechanisms like the pilus during processes akin to bacterial conjugation. Once inside the host cell, the phage DNA synthesizes a complementary strand, converting it into a double-stranded intermediate, also referred to as the replicative form (RF). This RF acts similarly to a plasmid within the bacterial cell and can be used in recombinant DNA technology. Additionally, for such viruses, only the (+) strand, which is the original single-stranded DNA, is packaged into new phage particles that are then released to infect other cells.

User TuanDT
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