Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 8, 2025

High-throughput Screening for Broad-spectrum Chemical Inhibitors of RNA Viruses
Published on: May 5, 2014
RNA-dependent RNA polymerase: Structure, mechanism, and drug discovery for COVID-19
Yi Jiang1, Wanchao Yin2, H Eric Xu3
1The CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
Abstract:
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has rapidly become a global pandemic. Although great efforts have been made to develop effective therapeutic interventions, only the nucleotide analog remdesivir was approved for emergency use against COVID-19. Remdesivir targets the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), an essential enzyme for viral RNA replication and a promising drug target for COVID-19. Recently, several structures of RdRp in complex with substrate RNA and remdesivir were reported, providing insights into the mechanisms of RNA recognition by RdRp. These structures also reveal the mechanism of RdRp inhibition by nucleotide inhibitors and offer a molecular template for the development of RdRp-targeting drugs. This review discusses the recognition mechanism of RNA and nucleotide inhibitor by RdRp, and its implication in drug discovery.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Viruses with RNA Genomes
Types of RNA
Three main types of RNA are involved in protein synthesis: messenger RNA (mRNA), transfer RNA (tRNA), and ribosomal RNA (rRNA). These RNAs perform diverse functions and can be broadly classified as protein-coding or non-coding RNA. Non-coding RNAs play important roles in the regulation of gene expression in response to developmental and environmental changes. Non-coding RNAs in prokaryotes can be manipulated to develop more effective antibacterial drugs for human or animal use.
RNA...
Types of RNA
RNA Performs Diverse...
Leaky Scanning
Ribozymes
Ribozymes can...
Eukaryotic RNA Polymerases
All three eukaryotic RNAPs require specific transcription factors, of which the...

