Question

Question 39 (1 point) HIV is the virus that causes AIDS. In the mid-1990s, researchers discovered an enzyme in HIV called protease. Once the enzyme's structure was known, researchers began looking for drugs that would fit into the active site and block it. If this strategy for stopping HIV infections were successful, it would be an example of what phenomenon? allosteric regulation vaccination O O O C poisoning competitive inhibition

Answer 1

HIV encodes for aspartyl protease that cleaves Gag and Gag-pol polypeptide precursors into functional polypeptides. This cleavage step is crucial for viral capsid formation and generation of active viral particles that are capable of infecting other T helper cells; making it a druggable target.

Inhibitors to HIV proteases such as (Lopinavir, Saquinavir) binds to the active site of the protease and prevents the binding and hence cleavage of viral polyproteins. Since these inhibitors competes with the natural substrates to bind to the active site of protease, it is an exampe of competitive inhibition.