IP Library Granted Patent US 12692525
Granted Patent B1
US 12692525 · App. 17/541,254 · Granted Jul 28, 2026

Thermostable purified reverse transcriptase and methods of use

Inventors: Shaofeng Ding (Santa Fe Springs, CA); Qiang Liu (Rancho Cucamonga, CA)
C12P19/34C12N9/1252C12Y207/07007
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12692525
App. No.
17/541,254
Granted
Jul 28, 2026
Kind
B1
Abstract

Thermophilic purified Type A DNA-dependent DNA polymerases efficiently catalyze reverse transcription and RNA-dependent DNA pyrophosphorolysis using ribonucleic acid (RNA) templates, virtually also being reverse transcriptases. At optimal temperatures of 60° C. to 62° C., the thermophilic reverse transcriptases are particularly efficient for reverse transcription in RT-PCR and RT-PAP amplifications.

Claims (23)

1 . A method for reverse transcription using RNA-dependent DNA polymerization comprising: (a) providing a thermophilic purified DNA-dependent DNA polymerase of Carboxydothermus pertinax that catalyzes reverse transcription by RNA-dependent DNA polymerization on an RNA template, wherein the polymerase is also a reverse transcriptase and an RNA-dependent DNA polymerase comprising an amino acid sequence that has more than 95% sequence identity to DNA-dependent DNA polymerase of SEQ ID NO: 8; (b) catalyzing reverse transcription on an RNA template with the reverse transcriptase to generate a reverse-transcribed DNA; and then, (c) heat-inactivating the reverse transcriptase activity ≥83° C.; wherein the reverse transcriptase is >90% inactivated after 2 minutes at 83° C.

2 . The method for reverse transcription of claim 1 , wherein the reverse transcriptase comprises a DNA polymerase A domain that has an amino acid sequence with more than 95% sequence identity to DNA polymerase A domain of SEQ ID NO: 8, and wherein the reverse transcriptase activity is heat-inactivated.

3 . The method for reverse transcription of claim 1 , wherein step of heat inactivating the reverse transcriptase is carried out at a temperature from 83° C. to 95° C.

4 . The method for reverse transcription of claim 1 , wherein the step of reverse transcription is performed at a temperature from 55° C. to 70° C.

5 . The method for reverse transcription of claim 1 , wherein the reverse transcriptase has an optimal temperature from 60° C. to 62° C. for catalyzing reverse transcription.

6 . The method for reverse transcription of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises (d) using a second DNA-dependent DNA polymerase to catalyze DNA-dependent DNA polymerization using the reverse-transcribed DNA as template.

7 . The method for reverse transcription of claim 1 , wherein the reverse transcriptase contains a tyrosine to phenylalanine substitution corresponding to position 420 of SEQ ID NO: 8.

8 . A method for RNA-dependent DNA pyrophosphorolysis comprising:

(a) providing a thermophilic purified DNA-dependent DNA polymerase that catalyzes RNA-dependent DNA pyrophosphorolysis on an RNA template, wherein the polymerase is also a reverse transcriptase and an RNA-dependent DNA polymerase comprising an amino acid sequence that has more than 85% sequence identity to DNA-dependent DNA polymerase of SEQ ID NO: 8;

(b) providing a 3′ blocked primer that has a non-extendable nucleotide at the 3′-blocker to anneal to an RNA template; and

(c) catalyzing RNA-dependent DNA pyrophosphorolysis with the reverse transcriptase to remove the 3′ blocker from the 3′ blocked primer.

9 . The method for RNA-dependent DNA pyrophosphorolysis of claim 8 , wherein the reverse transcriptase comprises a DNA polymerase A domain that has an amino acid sequence with more than 90% sequence identity to DNA polymerase A domain of SEQ ID NO: 8.

10 . The method for RNA-dependent DNA pyrophosphorolysis of claim 8 , wherein the reverse transcriptase contains a phenylalanine to tyrosine substitution at amino acid position 420 of SEQ ID NO: 8.

11 . The method for RNA-dependent DNA pyrophosphorolysis of claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises steps (d): catalyzing reverse transcription on the RNA template with the reverse transcriptase to generate a reverse-transcribed DNA, and then (e) heat-inactivating the reverse transcriptase activity.

12 . The method for RNA-dependent DNA pyrophosphorolysis of claim 8 , wherein the step of heat inactivating the reverse transcriptase activity is carried out at a temperature >83° C.

13 . The method for RNA-dependent DNA pyrophosphorolysis of claim 8 , wherein the step of heat inactivating the reverse transcriptase is carried out at a temperature from 83° C. to 95° C.

14 . The method for RNA-dependent DNA pyrophosphorolysis of claim 8 , wherein the step of RNA-dependent DNA pyrophosphorolysis is carried out at a temperature from 55° C. to 70° C.

15 . The method for RNA-dependent DNA pyrophosphorolysis of claim 8 , wherein the reverse transcriptase has an optimal temperature from 60° C. to 62° C. for catalyzing RNA-dependent DNA pyrophosphorolysis.

16 . The method for RNA-dependent DNA pyrophosphorolysis of claim 11 , wherein the method further comprises:

(f) a second 3′ blocked primer that has a non-extendable nucleotide at the 3′ blocker anneals to the reverse-transcribed DNA template;

(g) a second DNA-dependent DNA polymerase that catalyzes DNA-dependent DNA pyrophosphorolysis to remove the 3′ blocker from the 3′ blocked primer to activate the primer; and

(h) the second DNA-dependent DNA polymerase that catalyzes DNA-dependent DNA polymerization using the reverse-transcribed DNA as template.

17 . The method for RNA-dependent DNA pyrophosphorolysis of claim 16 wherein the steps (a) to (h) are conducted in a single reaction tube.