We tested whether human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) could be differentiated from HIV-2 by a reverse transcriptase (RT)-typing assay that measured the reduction of enzyme activity owing to specific antibody. RT-inhibiting antibody was examined for HIV type specificity by a new nonradioisotopic RT assay. Antibodies from four rabbits immunized with recombinant HIV-1 RT and from 23 HIV-1-seropositive individuals all specifically inhibited the enzyme activities of two HIV-1 strains (LAV-1 and GH-3), three zidovudine-resistant HIV-1 mutants, and a recombinant HIV-1 RT. However, none of these antisera affected the activities of six HIV-2 strains (GH-1, GH-2, GH-4, GH-5, GH-6, LAV-2ROD), Rous-associated virus type 2, and DNA polymerase I from Escherichia coli. In contrast, HIV-2 antibody from a rabbit immunized with disrupted GH-1 virions blocked the enzyme activities of the six HIV-2 strains but not those of the three HIV-1 strains, Rous-associated virus type 2, or DNA polymerase I. These results indicate that the antigenic domains of HIV-1 and HIV-2 RTs recognized by their inhibiting antibodies are distinct from each other and are highly conserved. Clinical HIV isolates from 18 HIV-1-seropositive individuals and 3 HIV-2-seropositive Ghanaian individuals were identified as HIV-1 and HIV-2, respectively, by the nonradioisotopic RT-typing assay.