R2 RNA element

R2 RNA is a cis-acting element identified in R2 retrotransposons which is involved in priming the reverse transcription process (an essential part of retrotransposon insertion into the host genome).

R2 is a non-long terminal repeat (non-LTR) retrotransposable element that inserts at a specific site in the 28S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes of most insect genomes In order to insert itself into the genome, a retrotransposon encoded protein (R2) protein makes a specific nick in one of the DNA strands at the insertion site and uses the 3′ hydroxyl group exposed by this nick to prime the reverse transcription process (RNA genome transcribed into DNA). This structure, an RNA element found in the R2 3'untranslated region (3'UTR), has been shown to interact with the R2 encoded reverse transcriptase in a reaction termed target primed reverse transcription (TPRT).