viral POL protein

Introduction

Precursor cleaved to yield reverse transcriptase & enzyme involved in proviral integration.

Early post-infection, the reverse transcriptase converts viral RNA genome into double-stranded viral DNA. The RNase H domain of the reverse transcriptase performs two functions:

• degrades RNA template
• specifically removes the RNA primer from the RNA/DNA hybrid

Following nuclear import, the integrase catalyzes the insertion of the linear, double-stranded viral DNA into the host cell chromosome.

The LPQG & YXDD motifs are catalytically important & conserved among many retroviruses

More general terms

• viral core protein
• retroviridae protein

Additional terms

• endogenous retroviral Pol protein