The first demonstration of the existence of reverse transcriptases in bacteria

Abstract

It has been long thought that reverse transcriptases are unique to the eukaryotes. However, through our research on a peculiar single stranded DNA called msDNA in Myxococcus xanthus, it was predicted that its synthesis requires reverse transcriptases. Subsequently, Lim and Maas as well as our group demonstrated the existence of reverse transcriptases for the production of msDNA. In this review, I describe how the discovery of msDNA led to the discovery of reverse transcriptases in bacteria and discuss the evolutionary significance of the discovery of revise transcriptases in bacteria.

Keywords: Archaea; Evolution; Myxococcus xanthus; Retron; Reverse transcriptase; msDNA.