Fig. 2C: Zidovudine, Step-3

Zidovudine (ZDV, AZT) has an azide (N3) group instead of a hydroxyl (OH) group on its pentose sugar. Once the phosphate group of the zidovudine bonds to OH of the last deoxyribonucleotide in the strand, no further free deoxyribonucleotides can attach. (The phosphate groups of free deoxyribonucleotides can only bond to OH groups, they are unable to bond to N3groups.) This results in an incomplete provirus.

Illustration of Zidovudine, Step-3. .jpg by Gary E. Kaiser, Ph.D.
Professor of Microbiology, The Community College of Baltimore County, Catonsville Campus
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Based on a work at https://cwoer.ccbcmd.edu/science/microbiology/index_gos.html.

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Last updated: August, 2019
Please send comments and inquiries to Dr. Gary Kaiser