Confused: HBV Reverse transcriptase

[mitochon]

so i've been reading up on the replication of HBV and i found contradicting hypotheses:
1- FA says that HBV DNA polymerase has both activities: 1- DNA-dependent DNA polymerase 2- RNA-dependent DNA polymerase aka Reverse Transcriptase
So in other words, FA suggests that both enzymes are packaged into the final virion.

I have done further research, however, and found another theory:
That the only enzyme that is actually packaged in the virion is the DNA-dependent DNA polymerase. And that reverse transcriptase is not present in the virion as a physical enzyme, but rather as a gene that is later translated from the intermediate mRNA that is formed.

In other words, is reverse transcriptase innately present in the virion? or is it produced AFTER hbv infects cell and forms intermediate mRNA?


2- is the partially circular dsDNA repaired by HBV DNA polymerase or by host cell polymerase?


Oh the things those examiners make us wonder about..

[mitochon]

hello anyone?

[PeterPan]

1- HBV has reverse transcriptase.
2- repair is done by viral polymerase.

Here's a summary of HBV replication process
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science...68827809007387

The key points to know is that:
- it's dsDNA with partial defect
- there's a repair stage
- there is transcription to pgRNA
- new viral genome is reverse trasncribed from pgRNA