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Question #47714
The Question
Nucleopolyhedrovirus (NPV) is widely utilized as a species-specific biocontrol agent and a recombinant vector for insect cell lines. Suppose a recombinant NPV, carrying a foreign plasmid-derived gene, successfully enters the cytoplasm of a susceptible Lepidopteran host cell but fails to replicate, and its genome is rapidly degraded. Which of the following is the most scientifically accurate explanation for this neutralization?
Options
- A.
The host's innate intracellular surveillance system recognized the foreign plasmid-derived DNA sequence, triggering its degradation prior to nuclear replication.
- B.
NPVs are retroviruses, and the host cell's innate immunity successfully degraded the viral RNA before reverse transcription could occur.
- C.
The Lepidopteran host utilized its native CRISPR-Cas adaptive immune system to cleave the viral genome upon cytoplasmic entry.
- D.
Plasmid integration altered the narrow-spectrum host specificity of the NPV, preventing it from binding to the host's cell surface receptors.
Check Your Answer
Correct Answer
Step-by-Step Solution
Explanation
How the Examiner Thinks
Regulatory_Failure
Understand how NOT, EXCEPT, and logical constraints are used to manipulate exam results.
Concepts Behind This Question
Restriction Endonuclease|Antibiotic Resistance Genes|Blue-White Screening
Why This Question Is Tricky
Common Mistakes
Conceptual Pivot: Students often universally associate 'viral genome degradation' with the CRISPR-Cas system, failing to recognize the taxonomic constraint that CRISPR is strictly prokaryotic.
Additionally, it tests the ability to distinguish between pre-entry barriers (host specificity/receptors) and post-entry intracellular innate immunity.
Quick Facts About This Question
Question Information
| Subject | Biology |
| Chapter | Biotechnology : Principles and Processes - Class 12 |
| Concept | Plasmid vs Chromosomal DNA |
| Difficulty | 8 |
| Cognitive Load | 5 |
| Target Solve Time | 120 sec |
| Access | Free |