Question

What is the role of provirus in persistent infections of animal cells?

Answer 1

The provirus is a virus genome that can either DNA or RNA And its role in persistent infection animal cell is given below.

Actually, the virus is first to come in the contact of the host cell or persistent infection cell than it releases its genome that called a provirus inside the host cell, and after that its genome integrated into the host genome and replicate or transcribed with the host DNA and RNA by using host machenary. As a result, it produced essential proteins or enzymes which required to increase the number of viruses. These new virus particles further infect another persistent infection cell.

Note- Virus genome can be either DNA or RNA.

If Genetic material is DNA, the provirus directly integrated into host cell DNA.

If Genetic material is RNA (different types of RNA viruses are found)

1. Positive sens RNA

2. Negative Sens RNA

3. Double-Stranded RNA

1. In the case of positive-sense RNA, RNA will be inserted into transcribed RNA and then translated with it.

2. In the second case (negative Sense RNA), RNA will first converted into Positive sense RNA by the of an enzyme RNA polymerase and then translated as Positive sense RNA.

3. In this case, RNA first, Converted in DNA by the process of reverse transcription and then integrated into the host DNA and start producing its proteins and enzymes by using host machinery.