Abstract: The present invention falls within the field of biotechnology. More specifically, the invention relates to reverse transcriptases expressed and purified in bacteria and having the amino acid sequence of the reverse transcriptase of a human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) group O, modified at positions 358, 359 and 360; and variants of this enzyme that contain additional changes at positions 355 and 357 or at 478 or position 69 (in this case accompanied by an insertion of two amino acids). These polymerases have greater activity than the non-mutated enzyme at high temperatures (above 60° C.). In addition, they retain the capacity for DNA synthesis at temperatures greater than 70° C. Moreover, the copying fidelity of these enzymes is not significantly different from that of the non-mutated reverse transcriptase.

Abstract: The present invention falls within the field of biotechnology. More specifically, the invention relates to reverse transcriptases expressed and purified in bacteria and having the amino acid sequence of the reverse transcriptase of a human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) group O, modified at positions 358, 359 and 360; and variants of this enzyme that contain additional changes at positions 355 and 357 or at 478 or position 69 (in this case accompanied by an insertion of two amino acids). These polymerases have greater activity than the non-mutated enzyme at high temperatures (above 60° C.). In addition, they retain the capacity for DNA synthesis at temperatures greater than 70° C. Moreover, the copying fidelity of these enzymes is not significantly different from that of the non-mutated reverse transcriptase.