A reverse transcriptase reaction can be complicated by the presence of secondary structure, high GC content, contamination, RNase degradation, truncated transcripts, inefficient reactions, low yields and many other frustrating issues. A good choice of reverse transcriptase reagent can help to avoid or overcome many of these problems. For example, thermostable reverse transcriptases destabilize RNA secondary structures, while at the same time increasing specificity of primer hybridization, leading to a higher quality result. Additionallly, a number of kits are available that offer reverse transcriptase and PCR in a single tube. The mix generally incluldes everything you need for both reactions, plus additives and enhancers to keep the reverse transcriptase from inhibiting the PCR. In addition to considering the convenience of a one-tube versus a two-tube process, it's helpful to ask whether the reverse transcriptase reagent mix is optimized for your specific application. The links on this page are a good place to start your search for the perfect reverse transcriptase.