Question

The drug AZT was one of the first drugs used to treat HIV. Which of the following drug actions would prevent the spread of HIV without harming the host cell?

prevention of the formation of glycoproteins

inhibition of reverse transcriptase

inhibition of DNA polymerase

destruction of amino acids that are vital to viral protein synthesis

Answer 1

The correct answer is: inhibition of reverse transcriptase

Reverse transcriptase is an enzyme with the ability to produce DNA (complementary DNA-cDNA) form the RNA template. Retroviruses, such as HIV virus after entering the cell, liberates the single-stranded RNA genome from the attached viral proteins and copies it into a cDNA molecule, That cDNA is than incorporated into host’s genome (via an enzyme integrase).

Antriretroviral medications such as AZT are inhibitors of reverse transcriptase, they decrease replication of the virus but not affecting the host.