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The genes of viruses are made from DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) and, in many viruses, RNA (ribonucleic acid). The biological information contained in an organism is encoded in its DNA or RNA. Most organisms use DNA, but many viruses have RNA as their genetic material. The DNA or RNA of viruses consists of either a single strand or a double helix ...
Although somewhat of a misconception, it is not the actual virus that is synthesised, but rather its DNA genome (in case of a DNA virus), or a cDNA copy of its genome (in case of RNA viruses). For many virus families the naked synthetic DNA or RNA (once enzymatically converted back from the synthetic cDNA) is infectious when introduced into a cell.
Upon entering the cell, the virion disassembles and the genetic material from the virus takes control of the cell infrastructure, thus enabling the virus to replicate. [1] The genetic material (core, either DNA or RNA, along with occasionally present virus core protein) inside the virion is usually enclosed in a protection shell, known as the ...
Where DNA or RNA which that has been packaged as part of a virus particle, but may not necessarily contain any viral genes, becomes integrated into a hosts genome this process is known as transduction. Maintenance of the viral genome within host cells but not as an integrated part of the host's genome.
The tumor virus can introduce and express a "transforming" gene either through the integration of DNA or RNA into the host genome. The tumor virus can alter expression on preexisting genes of the host. One or both of these mechanisms can occur in the same host cell.
A gene is a DNA sequence that codes for a diffusible product. This product may be protein (as is the case in the majority of genes) or may be RNA (as is the case of genes that code for tRNA and rRNA). The crucial feature is that the product diffuses away from its site of synthesis to act elsewhere. [17]
For the virus to reproduce and thereby establish infection, it must enter cells of the host organism and use those cells' materials. To enter the cells, proteins on the surface of the virus interact with proteins of the cell. Attachment, or adsorption, occurs between the viral particle and the host cell membrane.
Retroviruses also have a high mutation rate even though their DNA intermediate integrates into the host genome (and is thus subject to host DNA proofreading once integrated), because errors during reverse transcription are embedded into both strands of DNA before integration. [11] Some genes of RNA virus are important to the viral replication ...