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Most DNA viral polymerases have an exonuclease domain which can check DNA for errors and then repair these errors (HSV). RNA viruses such as polio do not have this domain in their viral polymerase, and therefore do not proof-check their genome as other DNA viruses do. This leads to more mutations.... (Graduate Student: Microbiology/Virology)
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
Wiki User
∙ 14y agoVarious reasons. They don't just "appear" to have higher rates, they really do have higher rates of mutation.
The most obvious reason is that RNA is less stable than DNA for two reasons. Firstly is the presence of the 3' hydroxyl (OH) group on the ribose sugar on RNA that is not on DNA. This OH group makes the molecule much more reactive and therefore more likely to undergo damage that leads to mutation. Secondly, RNA uses uracil instead of thymine in DNA (or more accurately, RNA does not substitutes thymine for uracil like DNA does). Cytosine readily and spontaneously undergoes a reaction that converts it to uracil very frequently. In DNA organisms, this can be spotted because uracil shouldn't be there at all, whereas in an RNA virus the mutation can be overlooked because there is no way to distinguish damaged uracil from real uracil, so the mutation can't be spotted.
Another large influence on the rate of mutation in RNA viruses is the lack of DNA repair enzymes in viruses. Because of this, a mutation can't be repaired so it stays there, where it would be repaired in other organisms.
As a result of the above, many more mutations take place in an RNA virus per day than occurs in the majority of organisms.
Wiki User
∙ 14y agoI think "why" may not be the right word for this question. If you are asking how they mutate, the process is the same as it is for everything else. When cells duplicate DNA or transcribe RNA they make mistakes. The strands are not perfectly similar. This difference can be silent (causing no change in the amino acid sequence of the protein) or it can change one or more amino acids. The change in amino acids changes the conformation of the protein, which causes a slight change in its properties. If these changes are beneficial (i.e. drug resistance), natural selection allows the mutated virus to propagate more successfully than the other strains.
However, if you are asking why, I'm afraid I can't help. Viruses do not have motivation.
Wiki User
∙ 12y agoRNA viruses generally have very height mutation rates compared to DNA viruses, because viral RNA polymerases lack the proof. readind ability of DNA polymerases. RNA viruses includs SARs, influenza, and hepatitisc. chacha on!
Wiki User
∙ 7y agoSome RNA viruses use an RNA polymerase enzyme to speed up replication after infection, but is "sloppy" (i.e. it makes mistakes more frequently than the cellular mechanisms for copying nucleic acids).
DNA viruses depend on cellular mechanisms for replication, which make few errors and also include error correction mechanisms that can undo mutations that have already happened before they get copied.
Wiki User
∙ 15y agoNo proofreading
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Viruses multiply the same way as other organisms?
I don't know about the same as other organisms,but definitely faster!MUCH faster!
Is the rage virus real?
Well, it is possible it could evolve from Rabies or other agression diseases. It is very possible they could mutate it from the diseases or make it as an biological weapon.
What are some things bacteria and viruses have in common?
Bacteria and viruses can both infect many species unrelated to each other. Rabies as a viral example, and staphylococcus as a bacterial example. Both can cause disease. They are able to mutate within a short period of time (few generations).Neither bacteria or viral organisms have a nucleus.
Why is vaccine developed for influenza but not for rhinovirus?
Because the rhinovirus (which is one virus that causes the common cold) mutates and changes its structure extremely frequently as do the other viruses that cause the common cold, such as Coronaviruses, and any of the others of hundreds of viruses that cause colds. While influenza strains also mutate, it is not as quickly as cold viruses that almost constantly are mutating, resulting in several dozen active viruses in any one locality. In addition, influenza has proven reasonably easy to grow in labs for study and for vaccine production, while cultivating rhinoviruses has proven very difficult.
Why do bacteria and viruses make powerful bioterrorism agents?
They are not easily detected and can aggressively spread and cripple large populations.
State any one reason to explain why RNA viruses mutate and evolve faster than other viruses?
It's because the enzyme RNA dependent RNA polymerase that synthesizes RNA does not have the activity of proof reading while DNA polymerase has this activity. Because of this absence of proof reading, wrong bases are inserted without correction and hence mutation is faster.
How viruses change every year?
you see viruses have the ability to mutate to better it's survival in the hosts body since your immune sysem records data on them before they mutate we can be effected the next year because of it's changes. In other words it can mutate it self over and over to keep it self going. example the common cold you can catch a different cold from the same virus because it mutated in the hosts body.
Viruses multiply the same way as other organisms?
I don't know about the same as other organisms,but definitely faster!MUCH faster!
Is the rage virus real?
Well, it is possible it could evolve from Rabies or other agression diseases. It is very possible they could mutate it from the diseases or make it as an biological weapon.
How does swine flu get destroyed without antibiotics?
You cannot destroy a virus with antibiotics, because antibiotics kill bacteria not viruses. Tamiflu and other meds similar attack the virus, but it is not always successful, as viruses are quick to mutate and become immune to antivirals out there.
Do flu viruses have a high mutation rate?
Yes, viruses do mutate very easily. This is one reason the cure for the common cold is so elusive, before a vaccine can be created for the strain of rhinovirus or other virus that is causing the currently circulating common cold, the viruses will have often mutated to a new form making a vaccine ineffective.
What are some things bacteria and viruses have in common?
Bacteria and viruses can both infect many species unrelated to each other. Rabies as a viral example, and staphylococcus as a bacterial example. Both can cause disease. They are able to mutate within a short period of time (few generations).Neither bacteria or viral organisms have a nucleus.
Why are viruses such successful agents?
Viruses are successful because a) They use the DNA of their infected host to replicate themselves. b) They mutate (change) their basic characteristics to avoid being irradicated by either the host's immune system or antiviral agents. c) Many viruses are quite hardy and able to live in a dormant state until a suitable host is found, at which time they replicate quickly, are discharged by the host's cells, and are then available to infect other suitable hosts.
What happens when viruses and bacteria mutate?
It's a bad thing when a virus mutates because when it mutates it becomes immune to the Anti-Virus humans have created. Thus all medicine for the uninvolved virus is completely useless and people would have to create another Anti-Virus to fight the new threat.
How do use the radiation in mutate the hamster?
I've never heard of Mutate The Hamster, but I'm guessing you mean Mutate The Labrat, or Mutate The Labrat is similar to Mutate The Hamster. But here's what I know about the radiation. You have to use the radiation a bit at a time or else the rat will die. Plus, you have to constantly feed it until the radiation wares off, and make sure that there is no other chemicals in its system (like mutagen X) or else the toxication will be too high, and it will die. I hope that helped.
What do you use bio matter for in Mutate the Lab Rat 2?
To craft other foods.
What type of program is a backdoor?
They are computer viruses that let hackers and other viruses in to your computer undetected. They are computer viruses that let hackers and other viruses in to your computer undetected.
