Journal of Genetics and Genomes

Sensitivity of Reverse Transcription: Polymerase Chain Reaction

Abstract

Victor Hoffmann*

RT-PCR uses RNA as starting material for in vitro macromolecule amplification. The discovery of retroviral reverse transcriptase in the early 1970’s ultimately made RT-PCR possible. Reverse transcriptase is an RNA-dependent DNA polymerase, catalyzing DNA synthesis using RNA as the template. The end product is known as complementary DNA (cDNA).