Question

The process of reverse transcription was brought to light by the work of
A) George Beadle and Edward Tatum
B) Garrod
C) H.W Temin and D. Baltimore
D) R.W Holley and Grover
E) Marshall and W Nirenberg

Answer 1

Transcription is the process by which an RNA sequence is produced using a strand of DNA. Reverse transcription is the process by which DNA is produced from RNA using the enzyme Reverse transcriptase. It is found in retroviruses.

Complete Answer:
The formation of cDNA (complementary DNA) double-stranded DNA, from an mRNA template which carried out using the enzyme reverse transcriptase is defined as reverse transcription. The enzyme responsible for reverse transcription was found by Temin and Baltimore in two RNA tumour viruses. Rous Sarcoma Virus (RSV) is an RNA retrovirus that is characterized by the presence of reverse transcriptase enzyme which uses RNA template and synthesizes DNA through reverse transcription.
George Beadle and Edward Tatum proved that the formation of enzymes is facilitated by our genetic code and our genes. They exposed a type of mould to x-rays causing mutations or changes in its gene which later proved that this led to changes in enzyme formation.
Sir Archibald Edward Garrod was an English physician who pointed out the inborn errors of metabolism. Inheritance of Alkaptonuria was also studied by him.
Robert William Holley was an American biochemist who got the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for describing the structure of alanine transfer RNA linking DNA and protein synthesis.
Marshall Warren Nirenberg was an American biochemist and geneticist who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology for breaking the genetic code and describing how it operates in protein synthesis.

Notes:
Retroviruses are viruses with RNA as genetic material which belong to the family Retroviridae. After infection RNA is converted to DNA by reverse transcription. This viral DNA is then inserted into the host cell DNA and it starts replicating. This is an example of Human Immunodeficiency Virus.