Step 1: Understanding TMV.
Tobacco Mosaic Virus (TMV) infects tobacco and other plants and was among the first viruses studied in detail.
Step 2: Experiments identifying genetic material.
- Earlier, W.M. Stanley crystallized TMV and demonstrated its protein nature, but did not determine the genetic material.
- F. Conrat in 1957 separated TMV protein coat from RNA and showed that the RNA alone was infectious and could produce new virus particles when combined with the coat protein.
Step 3: Significance.
- This experiment confirmed that TMV's genetic material is RNA, not protein.
- This was a landmark in molecular biology, showing that RNA can serve as genetic material in viruses.
Step 4: Conclusion.
Hence, the genetic material of TMV was confirmed to be RNA by F. Conrat.