Question

Fusion inhibitors are a type of antiretroviral drug that:

a) Interfere with gp120 or gp41 binding to host cells
b) Interfere with protein fusion between gp120 and integrase
c) Inhibit fusase from binding with the integrase protein
d) Inhibit DNA transcription

Answer 1

Fusion inhibitors are antiretroviral drugs that inhibit the fusion of the HIV viral envelope with the host cell plasma membrane by targeting proteins like gp41, thus preventing HIV entry into the host cells.

Step-by-step explanation:

Fusion inhibitors are a class of antiretroviral drugs used in the treatment of HIV infection. These drugs work by inhibiting the fusion of the HIV viral envelope with the host cell plasma membrane, a critical step in viral entry into the host cell. Fusion inhibitors target specific proteins on the viral envelope, such as gp41, which is involved in the fusion process. By doing so, they prevent the HIV virus from entering and infecting the host cells.

To address the question directly, fusion inhibitors interfere with gp120 or gp41 binding to host cells. They do not interfere with the fusion between gp120 and integrase, inhibit fusase from binding with integrase protein, or inhibit DNA transcription. Instead, these drugs impede the binding of HIV to the host cell coreceptor (chemokine receptor type 5 [CCR5]) and the merging of the viral envelope with the host cell membrane.