Inhibition of virion-associated reverse transcription by nucleoside triphosphatase in avian myeloblastosis virus.

RNA-dependent DNA polymerase activity of avian myeloblastosis virions as measured by the incorporation of [3H]TTP into trichloroacetic acid-precipitable material was very low. This apparent low polymerase activity was observed with virions isolated either from leukemic chicken plasma or from the supernatant of cultured leukemic myeloblasts. The inhibition of reverse transcriptase activity was caused by nucleoside triphosphatase present in avian myeloblastosis virions and could be reversed by ADP.