Some viruses can be crystallised and their structures analysed. One such virus is yellow mottle virus, which infects beans. This virus has a single-stranded RNA genome containing about 6,300 nucleotides. Its capsid is 25-30 nm in diameter and contains 180 identical capsomeres. If the yellow mottle virus begins its infection of a cell by using its genome as mRNA, which of the following would you expect to be able to measure when analysing the reproduction of this virus?
A) replication rate
B) transcription rate
C) translation rate
D) formation of new transcription factors

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

If the yellow mottle virus begins its infection of a cell by using its genome as mRNA, it means that the virus skips the step of transcription and directly uses its RNA genome for translation. Therefore, measuring the translation rate would provide insight into the reproduction of the virus. Replication rate (A), transcription rate (B), and formation of new transcription factors (D) would not be directly relevant in this scenario.

Some Viruses Can Be Crystallised and Their Structures Analysed