How to package functional reverse transcriptase enzyme into a retrovirus?
Why is it necessary that functional RT enzyme be packaged into the assembled virion?
A. Functional RT cannot be produced due to mutations in the viral gene that encodes RT.
B. RT is not a normal constituent of the host cell cytoplasm.
C. All are correct.
D. The host cell RT gene is not transcribed during viral infection.
Answer:
The retrovirus needs to package functional reverse transcriptase (RT) enzyme into the virion to convert its RNA genome into DNA, which is necessary for replication and integration.
It is necessary for the retrovirus to package the functional reverse transcriptase (RT) enzyme into the assembled virion because the host cell does not produce RT naturally and the viral gene that encodes RT may have mutations that prevent the production of functional RT. Without the RT enzyme, the retrovirus would not be able to convert its RNA genome into DNA, which is essential for its replication and integration into the host cell's genome.
Functional reverse transcriptase enzyme is necessary to be packaged into the assembled retrovirus in order to convert RNA into DNA and integrate it into the host cell genome. Functional reverse transcriptase (RT) enzyme is necessary to be packaged into the assembled virion of retroviruses because it is not a normal constituent of the host cell cytoplasm and cannot be produced due to mutations in the viral gene that encodes RT. Reverse transcription, the process of converting RNA into DNA, occurs only within infected host cells, and the RT enzyme is derived from the expression of viral genes within these cells. The presence of RT allows retroviruses to replicate their RNA genome into DNA, which then integrates into the host cell genome.