Question

Kilham rat virus causes autoimmune diabetes in BB rat. But the H-1 virus, which has genetic information as much as 80 percent, does not cause autoimmune diabetes in older animal models.

• We took a close look at this phenomenon. What hypothesis can be established based on this phenomenon?

• If the hypothesis is established, how can we prove it?

• Please provide an answer with a minimum of full A4 sheet (one side). You said that it is research based homework but can you somehow predict the outcome? I mean that's all it was for teacher's homework. He didn't give anything else

Answer 1

The hypothesis that we can establish in this case would be the fact that autoimmune diabetes in BB rat is virus specific.This can be proved by the fact that even though H-1 shares 98% sequence identity with Kilham rat virus, it still fails to induce diabetes autoimmune diabetes in BB rat.