A biologist develops a new drug that seems to dramatically slow the onset of symptoms resulting from HIV infection. Close monitoring of HIV-infected cells reveals that the viral proteins are in the form of long polyproteins. The biologist most likely developed a ________.
A) reverse transcriptase inhibitor
B) CD4 inhibitor
C) protease inhibitor
D) polymerase inhibitor

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The fact that the viral proteins are in the form of long polyproteins suggests that the drug targets the protease enzyme, which is responsible for cleaving the polyproteins into individual viral proteins. Therefore, the drug is most likely a protease inhibitor. This type of drug would slow down the replication of the virus by preventing the formation of functional viral proteins, leading to a slower onset of HIV symptoms. Option A is incorrect as reverse transcriptase inhibitors target the enzyme responsible for converting viral RNA to DNA, but it is not relevant to the information provided. Option B is incorrect as CD4 inhibitors block the interaction between the virus and the host cell, but they do not have any effect on polyproteins. Option D is incorrect as polymerase inhibitors target the enzyme that helps to copy the viral DNA, whereas the information provided is about viral proteins.

A Biologist Develops a New Drug That Seems to Dramatically