Novel inhibitors of HIV-reverse transcriptase catalyzed DNA strand transfer: Can we alter the infidelity of the enzyme?

Reverse transcription of viral RNA by the enzyme HIV1-reverse transcriptase (HIV1-RT) involves two DNA-strand transfers (DNA-ST). We report here a tim e-dependent inactivation of DNA-strand transfer by specific DNA-strand tran sfer inhibitors that do not affect the polymerase activity of the enzyme. I rreversible inhibitors of this type may be useful in characterizing the sit es on the enzyme responsible for DNA-Strand transfer. (C) 2001 Academic Pre ss.