User:TobyBrann/sandbox

Retroviroids
Retroviroids and retroviroid-like elements are viroids, which are RNA that have a DNA homologue. These entities are thought to be largely exclusive to the carnation, Dianthus caryophyllus, that are closely related to the family of viruses termed 'carnation small viroid-like RNA (CarSV RNA). It is hypothesised that these elements may act as a homologous substrate upon which recombination may occur and are linked to double-stranded break repair. These elements are dubbed retroviroids as the homologous DNA is generated by reverse transcriptase that is encoded by certain viruses