Abstract:All replication-competent retroviruses possess a characteristic enzyme, reverse transcriptase (RT), which is present at 20-70 mol/virus particle (1-3). The enzyme is cleaved, and thereby activated, from an inactive precursor by the action of another retroviral enzyme, the viral protease. All RTs possess three distinct enzymatic activities: (1) an RNA-dependent DNA polymerase, which is the RT in the strict sense of the word, (2) an RNase H, and (3) a DNA-dependent DNA polymerase. After infection of a new host c… Show more
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