Question

Retrovirus uses ............ to make complementary DNA from RNA.

• A. DNA polymerase
• B. Restriction endonuclease
• C. Reverse transcriptase
• D. Reverse polymerase

Answer 1

Answer: (C)

Reverse transcriptase

A retrovirus is a single-stranded positive sense RNA virus belongs to the family retroviridae. Retrovirus carries the genes for reverse transcriptase enzyme which is an RNA dependent DNA polymerase. This enzyme uses RNA as the template to synthesise cDNA which is then incorporated into the host genome. The host cell then treats the viral DNA as part of its own genome, transcribes and translates the viral genes along with the cell's own genes which produce the proteins required to assemble new copies of the virus. So the correct answer is 'reverse transcriptase'.