期刊名称：Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
印刷版ISSN：0027-8424
电子版ISSN：1091-6490
出版年度：1971
卷号：68
期号：9
页码：2203-2206
DOI：10.1073/pnas.68.9.2203
语种：English
出版社：The National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
摘要：Assays are described that permit one to distinguish the reverse transcriptase of RNA tumor viruses from known normal cellular DNA-instructed DNA polymerases. Template responses of purified reverse transcriptase were compared with those of similar preparations of the DNA polymerase I of Escherichia coli and of calf-thymus polymerase. All three enzymes responded well to the synthetic duplexes poly(dT){middle dot}poly(A), poly(U){middle dot}poly(A), and poly(dT){middle dot}poly(dA). Hence, these duplexes can detect, but cannot distinguish reverse, transcriptase from the known normal DNA polymerases. However, certain oligomer-homopolymer complexes serve as excellent distinguishing agents. The reverse transcriptase responds very well to (dT)10{middle dot}poly(A) and very poorly to (dT)10{middle dot}poly(dA), whereas both cellular DNA polymerases do not exhibit this behavior. Purified single-stranded RNA also serves as a diagnostic device, since only reverse transcriptase gives a detectable response. To be definitive, a positive response to RNA must be accompanied by a demonstration via molecular hybridization that the DNA product is complementary to the RNA and not to some minor DNA contaminant.
