RNA was first identified as the genetic material of the tobacco mosaic virus (TMV)through an experiment in which:
A) Protein and nucleic acid were radioactively labeled
B) Protein, RNA, and DNA were digested using various enzymes
C) The protein coats and RNA from two distinctive TMV strains were exchanged
D) RNA underwent CsCl density-dependent centrifugation
E) None of these

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The experiment that identified RNA as the genetic material of the tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) involved exchanging the protein coats and RNA from two distinctive TMV strains. This demonstrated that the RNA, not the protein coat, determined the characteristics of the resulting virus, thus identifying RNA as the genetic material in TMV.

RNA Was First Identified as the Genetic Material of the Tobacco