What is the Function of Cleavage of the MRNAs from Bacteriophage

Question

What is the function of cleavage of the mRNAs from bacteriophage T7 by the host ribonuclease III?
A) It processes the transcript into smaller more stable mRNAs.
B) It produces a sequence that is recognized by the host cell ribosomes.
C) It degrades the viral mRNAs after they have been translated into proteins.
D) It removes introns from the viral mRNAs and produces a mature mRNA.
E) It produces RNA primers required for viral DNA replication.

Accepted Answer

Ribonuclease III cleaves long transcripts into smaller, more stable entities. This allows for efficient translation of the mRNA and prevents the accumulation of unwanted RNA products that can interfere with cellular machinery. In the case of bacteriophage T7, cleavage by host RNase III generates short, stable mRNA molecules that can be efficiently translated by the host cell.