The Genome of ________ SsRNA Viruses Can Serve Directly as MRNA

Question

The genome of ________ ssRNA viruses can serve directly as mRNA.
A) positive-sense (+)
B) negative-sense (-)
C) all
D) double-stranded
E) prion

Accepted Answer

Positive-sense (+) ssRNA viruses have genomic RNA that can directly serve as mRNA. This means that the virus can directly use the genomic RNA to synthesize viral proteins without needing to convert it to mRNA. Negative-sense (-) ssRNA viruses, on the other hand, require the synthesis of a complementary mRNA strand before viral protein synthesis can occur. Double-stranded RNA viruses also require additional steps before viral protein synthesis can occur. Prions are not RNA viruses, they are misfolded proteins that cause disease.