Reverse transcriptase inhibitors vs Protease, integrase, and entry inhibitors
How to tell Reverse transcriptase inhibitors and Protease, integrase, and entry inhibitors apart when a board question makes them look alike.
NRTI/NNRTI act at reverse transcription; protease acts at maturation; integrase acts at integration; entry drugs act before cell infection.
Side by side
NRTIs terminate DNA chains during reverse transcription; NNRTIs allosterically inhibit reverse transcriptase.
Protease inhibitors block virion maturation, integrase inhibitors block host-genome integration, and entry inhibitors block fusion/CCR5/CD4 entry steps.
Reverse transcriptase inhibitors prevent RNA-to-DNA conversion before viral DNA can integrate.
Later-step classes block protein processing, DNA integration, or viral entry rather than reverse transcription.
Chain termination wording points NRTI; allosteric reverse-transcriptase wording points NNRTI.
Dyslipidemia/insulin resistance points protease inhibitor; dolutegravir-like naming points integrase inhibitor; CCR5/fusion wording points entry inhibitor.
The trap
All are HIV drugs, so do not choose by disease; choose by the blocked viral life-cycle step.
The repair move
Draw the HIV life cycle in order and place the class on the step before thinking about individual drug names.
Try a free question
CoreAn HIV medication is a nucleoside analog that gets incorporated into viral DNA and terminates chain elongation during reverse transcription. Which class best fits?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. NRTI. NRTIs are nucleoside/nucleotide analogs that cause chain termination during reverse transcription.
Why the other choices are tempting
- B. NNRTIs bind reverse transcriptase allosterically but are not nucleoside chain terminators.
- C. Protease inhibitors block viral protein cleavage and maturation.
- D. Integrase inhibitors prevent viral DNA integration into host DNA.
- E. CCR5 entry inhibitors block viral entry, not reverse transcription.
Flashcards
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What is the fastest separator for Reverse transcriptase inhibitors vs Protease, integrase, and entry inhibitors?
NRTI/NNRTI act at reverse transcription; protease acts at maturation; integrase acts at integration; entry drugs act before cell infection.
What clue should make you choose Reverse transcriptase inhibitors?
NRTIs terminate DNA chains during reverse transcription; NNRTIs allosterically inhibit reverse transcriptase.
Quick answers
What is the fastest way to tell Reverse transcriptase inhibitors from Protease, integrase, and entry inhibitors?
NRTI/NNRTI act at reverse transcription; protease acts at maturation; integrase acts at integration; entry drugs act before cell infection.
What is the key clue for Reverse transcriptase inhibitors?
NRTIs terminate DNA chains during reverse transcription; NNRTIs allosterically inhibit reverse transcriptase.
What is the key clue for Protease, integrase, and entry inhibitors?
Protease inhibitors block virion maturation, integrase inhibitors block host-genome integration, and entry inhibitors block fusion/CCR5/CD4 entry steps.
What is the common trap with Reverse transcriptase inhibitors vs Protease, integrase, and entry inhibitors?
All are HIV drugs, so do not choose by disease; choose by the blocked viral life-cycle step.