In a host cell infected with the rabies virus, where does viral genome replication occur?

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Question: In a host cell infected with the rabies virus, where does viral genome replication occur?

Option a: Nucleus
- Rabies virus is a negative-sense single-stranded RNA virus that replicates in the cytoplasm of the host cell. The nuclear compartment is not used for replication in rabies infection, so this statement is incorrect.

Option b: Cytosol
- While replication does occur in the cytoplasm, saying just 'cytosol' is incomplete. Rabies replication happens within specialized cytoplasmic inclusions rather than being evenly dispersed throughout the cytosol. This makes the answer technically too vague and not the best descriptor of the replication site.

Option c: Endosome
- Endosomes are part of the entry/ trafficking pathway for some viruses, but they are not the site of viral genome replication. The genome replication machinery operates after uncoating in the cytoplasm, not inside endosomal compartments. This option misidentifies the replication locale.

Option d: Negri bodies
- Negri bodies are cytoplasmic inclusions in neurons that are characteristic of rabies infection. They contain viral nucleocapsids and replication components, serving as the site where viral genome replication tends to concentrate. This makes option d the correct choice because it accurately describes the replication platform observed in infected neurons.

Summary:
- The nucleus is not used for replication of the rabies genome. 
- The cytosol is too broad a term; replication occurs specifically in condensed cytoplasmic inclusions (Negri bodies). 
- Endosomes are related to entry, not replication. 
- Negri bodies correctly designate the replication-associated cytoplasmic inclusions where the rabies genome is replicated.

MIC2022 S2 2025 MIC2022 - Practice Exam

In a host cell infected with the rabies virus, where does viral genome replication occur?

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