Reverse transcriptase (RT) component of antiviral defense system retron Ec48, composed of a non-coding RNA (ncRNA), this reverse transcriptase (RT) and the following membrane protein. Expression of this retron confers protection against bacteriophages lambda, T2, T4, T5 and T7. At multiplicity of infection (MOI) of 0.02 cultures grow normally when infected with lambda without collapsing, at MOI 2 cultures enter growth stasis. At MOI 3 cell membranes are permeabilized within 15 minutes of infection but do not lyse, suggesting the phage are not able to finish a replication cycle. Antiviral defense is suppressed by mutations that knockout the lambda gam expression or phage T7 gp5.9 expression; both viral genes inhibit host RecBCD (PubMed:33157039). The Ec48 retron may sense the integrity of the RecBCD enzyme; when RecBCD is perturbed by viral proteins the Ec48 effector (the membrane protein) is activated, leading to abortive infection and bacterial growth arrest (Probable). Responsible for synthesis of msDNA-Ec48 (a branched molecule with RNA linked by a 2',5'-phosphodiester bond to ssDNA). The retron transcript serves as primer (from a conserved internal G residue) and template for the reaction, and codes for the RT (PubMed:8878541, PubMed:9401048). a 2'-deoxyribonucleoside 5'-triphosphate + DNA(n) = diphosphate + DNA(n+1) Belongs to the bacterial reverse transcriptase family. Truncated N-terminus.