Nucleotide Analogs and Their Applications
Start with the big picture
Nucleotide analogs may alter a base, sugar, or phosphate group. In antiviral therapy, many are phosphorylated inside cells and then compete with natural nucleotides at viral polymerases; analogs without a 3′-OH can terminate chain extension. Other agents promote mutations or inhibit a specific viral enzyme, while pre-phosphorylated analogs can bypass some viral kinase activation steps. Resistance can arise when viral kinases or polymerases change. Anticancer analogs disrupt DNA synthesis or nucleotide metabolism, and some inhibit DNA methyltransferases, affecting gene expression. Beyond treatment, dideoxynucleotides support chain-termination sequencing, labeled analogs aid molecular assays, and BrdU or EdU can mark newly synthesized DNA. These examples show how structural changes shape both therapeutic and research uses.
What you'll learn
- Describe how structural modifications allow nucleotide analogs to mimic natural nucleotides.
- Explain phosphorylation, polymerase inhibition, and chain termination in antiviral activity.
- Distinguish mutagenic and enzyme-targeting antiviral mechanisms.
- Summarize how anticancer analogs affect DNA synthesis, nucleotide metabolism, or methylation.
- Identify molecular biology uses of dideoxynucleotides and labeled DNA analogs.
Continue your study
Work through the complete notes and reinforce the topic with the study tools available in the full lesson.
