Question

An enzyme from the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV, which causes AIDS) can synthesize DNA from an RNA template. Explain how this enzyme activity contradicts Crick’s central dogma.

Short answer

The enzyme activity of HIV contradicts Crick’s central dogma by using reverse transcriptase.

Step-by-step solution

Introduction

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) may be detected in all bodily tissues and causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, a sexually transmitted illness (SID) (AIDS). Single-stranded ribonucleic acid makes up HIV genome (RNA).

Enzyme activity of HIV contradict Crick’s central dogma

The basic dogma of Crick is that genetic information from deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) passes to ribonucleic acid (RNA) and subsequently into proteins. Transcription, the process of making RNA from DNA, uses DNA as a template.

Interpretation

Thus, RNA, on the other hand, serves as a template for an enzyme called reverse transcriptase in HIV to synthesise DNA.