TWiV explains how remdesivir inhibits the SARS-CoV-2 RNA polymerase: the drug is incorporated into the growing RNA chain and causes synthesis to stall when the drug clashes with an amino acid in the active site.

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, Rich Condit, and Kathy Spindler

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Links for this episode

• How remdesivir stalls the SARS-CoV-2 polymerase (Nat Comm)
• Movie of polymerase stalling (Nat Comm)
• Second mechanism of remdesivir inhibition (J Biol Chem)
• Watson Crick molecular model (Science Museum Group)
• Letters read on TWiV 819
• Timestamps by Jolene. Thanks!

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Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to [email protected]