In article <1994Oct5.001317.18360 at marlin.jcu.edu.au>, robert at chironex.jcu.edu.au
says:
>>In article <36r760$u7 at hermod.uio.no> ohungnes at bioslave.uio.no (Olav Hungnes)
>writes:
>Is there any evidence that amongst the (+)-strand virions there are some
>(-)-strand
>containing particles also ? At a pinch, with todays PCR technology we should
>be
>able to answer that question if it hasn't already been done.
I have actually done this experiment for Potato Virus X.
To the limit of our ability to detect it (pretty small amounts)
there is not - sense PVX packaged in with the + sense in the virions.
I don't know about other + sense viruses.
About why - sense viruses exist I think that perhaps the best answer
is: Why not? Evolution just does whatever happens to work at the
time, not what would be objectivly the "best".
Ethan Strauss IO00865 at maine.maine.edu
Dept. Plant Biology & Pathology 74 N. Main St. Apt#1
University of Maine at Orono 04469 Orono ME, 04473
207-581-2994 207-866-5935
