Reverse Transcriptase

Definition

Reverse transcriptase is an enzyme used by retroviruses that creates single-stranded DNA from an RNA template - essentially reversing the usual transcription process.

Related terms

Retrovirus: A type of virus that uses reverse transcriptase to replicate; HIV is one example.

DNA Polymerase: An enzyme involved in DNA replication, creating two identical DNA strands from one original DNA molecule.

Transcription:

The first step in gene expression where segments of DNA are copied into RNA.