Anticomplementary nature of smaller DNA produced during synthesis of extensive DNA copies of poliovirus RNA.

The reverse transcriptase (RNA-directed DNA nucleotidyltransferase) from avian myeloblastosis virus is able to make an extensive, possibly complete, complementary DNA copy of intact poliovirus RNA. In the presence of high concentrations of deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates, ribonucleoside triphosphates, or sodium pyrophosphate, this DNA is the only species produced. Without these additives, however, a second size class of DNA is also synthesized. This material has a sedimentation coefficient between roughly 4 and 10 S and is produced later in the reaction, largely after synthesis of the larger complementary DNA has ceased. The smaller DNA consists primarily of material anticomplementary to the RNA template and contains a faithful and uniform representation of the viral sequences. It most likely arises by transcription of the larger DNA species.