reverse transcriptase
Noun
Meaning
a polymerase that catalyzes the formation of DNA using RNA as a template; found especially in retroviruses
Source: WordNetSynonyms
Hypernyms
Examples
An improved knowledge of the action of reverse transcriptase has led to better nucleoside analogues to treat HIV infections.
By inserting eukaryotic mRNA for insulin production along with reverse transcriptase into bacteria, the mRNA could be inserted into the prokaryote's genome.
First of all, the reverse transcriptase synthesizes viral DNA from viral RNA, and then from newly made complementary DNA strand.
For example, the gag gene is translated into molecules of the capsid protein, the pol gene is translated into molecules of reverse transcriptase, and the env gene is translated into molecules of the envelope protein.
However these drugs can quickly become ineffective due to the fact that the gene sequences that code for the protease and the reverse transcriptase quickly mutate.
Industrial drugs that are designed as protease and reverse transcriptase inhibitors are made such that they target specific sites and sequences within their respective enzymes.