Bacteriophage is a small virus with 9 genes coding for 9 different polypeptide sequences. When counted the weights of all polypeptides, it was calcultated that the genome need to have minimum 6078 nucleotides, but it was found to have only 5387 nucleotides. 5387 bases can no way produce 9 polypeptides as per our gene knowledge. What may be going on in the viral genome that it could code for 9 polypeptides with fewer than needed nuclotides? a. May be the calculations of 9 polypeptides is wrong, it is coding for only 8 polypeptides, for which 5387 bases are enough b. May be calculations of genome size is wrong, it is actually 6078 bases c. The genes may be overlapping in the virus, so that they can produce 9 peptide sequences d. The virus has extrachromosomal DNA.
Posted on: Sun, 16 Mar 2014 14:56:08 +0000
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