Question

28. Is there any situation in which DNA is made based on a RNA template? What is the enzyme involved?

Answer 1

The process in which DNA is synthesized having as template a RNA chain is called reverse transcription. In cells infected by retroviruses (RNA viruses, like the AIDS or SARS viruses) reverse transcription occurs and DNA is made from information contained in the viral RNA.

Viral RNA within the host cell produces DNA with the help of an enzyme called reverse transcriptase. Based on that DNA the host cell then makes viral proteins, new viruses are assembled and viral replication occurs.