RNA-dependent RNA polymerase

RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) or RNA replicase is an enzyme that catalyzes the replication of RNA from an RNA template. Specifically, it catalyzes synthesis of the RNA strand complementary to a given RNA template. This is in contrast to typical DNA-dependent RNA polymerases (DdRP), which all organisms use to catalyze the transcription of RNA from a DNA template.

RdRp is an essential protein encoded in the genomes of most RNA-containingviruses that lack a DNA stage. Some eukaryotes also contain RdRps, which are involved in RNA interference and differ structurally from viral RdRps.