What are other available reverse transcriptases?

While reverse transcriptase is commonly present in viruses, it is not as common in bacteria. Bacteria containing RT use it to make msDNA. Bacteria known to contain RT include Escherichia coli, Myxoccocus Xanthus, and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (1,2). A version of RT also exists myxobacterium Nannocystis exedens; however unlike most bacteria, the RT gene does not appear to be close (1 kb) to the gene msd (which encodes the DNA strand of msDNA). In this bacterium, msd is surrounded by the gene msr (which encodes the RNA strand of msDNA) on either side (3).

(1) REVERSE TRANSCRIPTASE IN E.COLI

(2) Retron reverse transcriptase rrtT is ubiquitous in strains of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium

(3) Repetitive sequences found in the chromosome of the myxobacterium Nannocystis exedens are similar to msDNA: A possible retrotransposition event in bacteria

--Letaylor 19:58, 19 May 2009 (EDT)