What is reverse transcription process?

Listen to pronunciation. (ree-VERS tran-SKRIP-shun) In biology, the process in cells by which an enzyme makes a copy of DNA from RNA. The enzyme that makes the DNA copy is called reverse transcriptase and is found in retroviruses, such as the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

What is needed for reverse transcription?

To initiate reverse transcription, reverse transcriptases require a short DNA oligonucleotide called a primer to bind to its complementary sequences on the RNA template and serve as a starting point for synthesis of a new strand.

Which enzyme does the virus use to transcribe its DNA?

Reverse transcriptase
Reverse transcriptase, also called RNA-directed DNA polymerase, an enzyme encoded from the genetic material of retroviruses that catalyzes the transcription of retrovirus RNA (ribonucleic acid) into DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid).

What organisms have reverse transcriptase?

Reverse transcriptase, discovered in 1970 in retroviruses, has until recently been found only in eukaryotic organisms. Recently it was shown to occur in two groups of bacteria: myxobacteria and Escherichia coli.

What is reverse transcription in viruses?

Reverse transcriptases are used by viruses such as HIV and hepatitis B to replicate their genomes, by retrotransposon mobile genetic elements to proliferate within the host genome, and by eukaryotic cells to extend the telomeres at the ends of their linear chromosomes. …

What is the importance of reverse transcription?

Reverse transcriptase is used to make a cDNA copy of the mRNA. The cDNA sample is then amplified by PCR. This yields multiple copies of cDNA without introns. Reverse transcription followed by PCR allows cloning of genes starting from the messenger RNA, and thus, identifying the expressed exons of the eukaryotic gene.

How does reverse transcription differ from transcription?

The main difference between transcription and reverse transcription is that transcription is the encoding of the DNA genome into RNA molecules whereas reverse transcription is the encoding of the RNA genome into DNA molecules.

Why does a virus need a reverse transcriptase?

Reverse transcriptase (RT) is the enzyme used to produce DNA from RNA templates, and viruses that replicate via an RNA intermediate require this enzyme. RT is virus-encoded as the host cell does not require this enzyme for its nuclear metabolism.

Where does reverse transcription take place in a cell?

Reverse transcription begins when the viral particle enters the cytoplasm of a target cell. The viral RNA genome enters the cytoplasm as part of a nucleoprotein complex that has not been well characterized. The process of reverse transcription generates, in the cytoplasm, a linear DNA duplex via an intricate series of steps.

How is The pregenome used in reverse transcriptase?

The pregenome is used as a template for the reverse transcriptase to produced minus-strand DNA genomes, with a small piece of pregenome used as a primer to produce the double-stranded region of the genomes. Double-stranded RNA viruses infect bacteria, fungi, plants, and animals, such as the rotavirus that causes diarrheal illness in humans.

How are RNA viruses able to replicate their DNA?

RNA viruses replicate their genomes via one of two unique pathways—either by RNA-dependent RNA synthesis, or among the retroviruses, by RNA-dependent DNA synthesis (reverse transcription) followed by DNA replication and transcription.