Question

You isolate a purify a bacteriophage that can replicate in E. coli. Through chemical analyses you determine that the only nucleic acid present is RNA. You isolate the RNA and put it in a test tube with all of the necessary proteins and RNAs for translation. The RNA is translated and new infectious virions are made. What does this tell you about the bacteriophage?

Answer 1

The question is incomplete as the options are not provided which are:

RNA replicase is present in the viral capsid.

The RNA genome is of the plus sense and RNA replicase is present in the viral capsid.

The new bacteriophage is a retrovirus.

The RNA genome is of the plus sense.

Answer:

The RNA genome is of the plus sense and RNA replicase is present in the viral capsid.

Step-by-step explanation:

The bacteriophage is the virus particles which are composed of the genetic material enclosed in the Capsid protein. The Bacteriophage virus infects the bacteria and uses their replication machinery to replicate themselves.

In the given question, all the proteins along with RNA for translation or ribosomes is provided. The single-stranded RNA is first their genome copied by the RNA replicase and the positive strand, therefore, acts as the mRNA. This mRNA is then translated into the protein sequence and a new virion is produced.

Thus, the selected option is correct.