Azidothymidine (AZT) is a reverse transcriptase inhibitor that was part of the first class of antiviral drugs developed to treat HIV infection. Which of the following correctly describes how these drugs inhibited HIV infection?
A) The drugs targeted and destroyed the viral genome before it could be reverse transcribed into DNA.
B) The drugs bonded to the viral dsDNA and prevented it from being able to be used as a template for replication.
C) The drug bonded to the viral reverse transcriptase enzyme and prevented it from making a DNA copy of viral RNA.
D) The drugs prevented host cells from producing the enzymes used by the virus to replicate its genome.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Azidothymidine (AZT) and other reverse transcriptase inhibitors work by binding to the viral reverse transcriptase enzyme, thereby preventing it from synthesizing DNA from the viral RNA template. This stops the virus from replicating its genome within the host cell.

Azidothymidine (AZT) Is a Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitor That Was Part