This structure demonstrates the interactions between RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), the Covid-19 RNA strand, and the anti-viral drug Remdesivir.
Remdesivir has been looked at as an antiviral drug against SARS-CoV-2 based on its antiviral properties against other viruses such as Ebola. Its method of action is against the viral RdRp protein which is responsible for transcribing more viral RNA from a template using human host cell RNA machinery.
Remdesivir is a nucleotide analog meaning RdRp recongises it as an RNA base and incorporates it into the RNA primer strand. However, specific structural features of remdesivir compared to the nucleotide cause the RNA strand to terminate chain elongation shortly after its addition. Therefore preventing the replication of SARS-CoV-2 RNA, stopping the virus in its tracks.
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