AZT, used in treating AIDS, is an effective inhibitor of nucleic acid synthesis because:
A) It has a nitrogen group instead of a 3' OH.
B) It is a 2', 3' dideoxy compound.
C) It doesn't form good base pairs.
D) It inhibits RNA Polymerase needed to make RNA for new HIV virus particles.
E) More than one of these is correct.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

AZT is an effective inhibitor of nucleic acid synthesis because it is a 2', 3' dideoxy compound (B), which means it lacks a 3' OH group necessary for the elongation of the DNA chain during DNA synthesis. This property prevents the addition of new nucleotides, effectively halting DNA synthesis. Additionally, AZT is specifically designed to target reverse transcriptase, an enzyme HIV uses to convert its RNA into DNA, rather than inhibiting RNA polymerase directly (D). The correct understanding combines aspects of how AZT functions at a molecular level, making E the correct choice.

AZT, Used in Treating AIDS, Is an Effective Inhibitor of Nucleic