Genome-length complementary DNA (cDNA) transcripts were synthesized in vitro by using purified virions of avian myeloblastosis virus. Moloney murine leukemia virus, and clone 124 mouse sarcoma virus. The size of the genomelenth cDNA transcripts was measured on either alkaline sucrose gradients or alkaline agarose gels. The longest cDNA transcripts synthesized by using avian myeloblastosis virus, Moloney murine leukemia virus, and clone 124 mouse sarcoma virus were 7, 9 and 6 kilobases (kb), respectively. The in vitro system used was capable of synthesizing double-stranded DNA, but the plus strands (same polarity as the viral RNA) were only 0.5 to 1.5 kb long. Lone Moloney murine leukemia virus cDNA transcripts were used as templates to synthesize the second plus strand. Essentially two strategies were employed as follows. (i) The 3' ends of the cDNA transcripts were extended by addition of 50 to 100 dAMP residues by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase. The (dA)n-tailed cDNA transcripts were used as templates along with an oligomer of dT as primer and Escherichia coli DNA polymerase to synthesize the plus strands. (ii) DNase-digested calf thymus DNA was used to prime the synthesis of plus strands on long cDNA with E. coli DNA polymerase I. In both cases, the synthesis of the plus strands was monitored by increased resistance of the cDNA templates to single-strand-specific S1 nuclease. The double-stranded DNA was fractionated on neutral sucrose gradients. Analysis of the double-stranded DNA synthesized by using oligo(dT) primer showed the plus strands to be about 5 to 6 kb long, whereas the plus strands synthesized by using DNase-digested calf thymus DNA primers were only 0.3 to 0.5 kb long. Double-stranded DNA synthesized by either method has an average size of 6 x 10(6) daltons. Double-stranded DNA was also synthesized by using cDNA transcripts as templates without the addition of any primers. In this case, the plus strands were covalently linked to the template strand and were not representative of the whole parent strand.