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Some viruses can be crystallized and their structures analyzed. One such virus is Desmodium, or yellow mottle virus, which infects beans. This is a member of the tymovirus group and has a single-stranded RNA genome of ~6,300 nucleotides. Its virion is 25-30 nm in diameter, and is made up of 180 copies of a single capsid protein that self-associate to form each capsomere, which has icosahedral symmetry with 20 facets.
-If this virus has a positive RNA strand as its genome, it begins the infection by using this strand as mRNA. Therefore, which of the following do you expect to be able to measure?
A) replication rate
B) transcription rate
C) translation rate
D) accumulation of new ribosomes
E) formation of new transcription factors

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Since the virus uses its positive RNA strand as mRNA to initiate infection, measuring the translation rate (C) would provide information about the rate of protein synthesis, which is a key step in the viral replication cycle. The replication rate (A), transcription rate (B), accumulation of new ribosomes (D), and formation of new transcription factors (E) are not directly related to the use of the positive RNA strand as mRNA, and therefore would not provide insight into the early stages of infection.

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