RNA and DNA?

Question

Tobacco mosaic virus is an RNA virus, so does not have DNA as its genetic material. Suppose RNA from a tobacco mosaic virus is mixed with proteins from a related DNA virus, resulting in a hybrid virus. If that virus were to infect a cell and reproduce, what would the resulting offspring viruses be like?

Answer 1

The resulting offspring viruses would be of the original TMV RNA strain, because it's genetic material would be used to make more TMV RNA and more TMV coat protein.  The information for making more protein from the DNA virus would not be there, so it wouldn't be made and it wouldn't be available for packaging the TMV RNA.

And BTW, some RNA viruses DO make DNA when they first infect a cell and then later make and repackage RNA into the offspring particles.

Ever hear of a little enzyme called Reverse Transcriptase?

Answer 2

If this unlikely event occurred, the result would be a RNA virus.

The DNA virus still must code for mRNA to be translated into protein, while the RNA virus never makes any DNA.