What is the Difference Between NNRTI and NRTI?
🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚NNRTIs (non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors) and NRTIs (nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors) are two classes of antiretroviral drugs used for the treatment of HIV/AIDS. Both classes work by targeting the HIV reverse transcriptase enzyme, which is responsible for converting the virus's RNA into DNA. However, they have different mechanisms of action:
- Mechanism of Action: NNRTIs work by non-competitively inhibiting the reverse transcriptase of the HIV virus. They bind to a specific allosteric pocket in the reverse transcriptase enzyme, causing conformational changes that reduce the enzyme's activity and rate. On the other hand, NRTIs competitively inhibit the reverse transcriptase by acting as decoy nucleotides, which the enzyme mistakenly incorporates into the growing DNA chain, resulting in chain termination.
- Intracellular Metabolism: NNRTIs do not require intracellular metabolism for activity, whereas NRTIs do.
- Specificity: NNRTIs are specific to the viral reverse transcriptase and not expected to interact with host polymerases, resulting in somewhat less potential for side effects than NRTIs.
- Antiviral Activity and Tolerance: NNRTIs generally have greater antiviral activity and are better tolerated than NRTIs.
In summary, while both NNRTIs and NRTIs target the HIV reverse transcriptase enzyme, they do so through different mechanisms. NNRTIs non-competitively inhibit the enzyme by binding to a specific pocket, whereas NRTIs competitively inhibit the enzyme by acting as decoy nucleotides.
Comparative Table: NNRTI vs NRTI
Here is a table comparing the differences between NNRTIs (non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors) and NRTIs (nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors):
Property | NNRTI | NRTI |
---|---|---|
Mechanism of Action | Non-competitively inhibits the reverse transcriptase of the HIV virus | Competitively inhibits the reverse transcriptase of the HIV virus |
Binding | Binds to and blocks the HIV reverse transcriptase enzyme | Competes with natural nucleosides and incorporates into viral DNA |
Effect on Reverse Transcriptase | Induces conformational changes in reverse transcriptase, reducing its activity | Incorporates into viral DNA, causing chain termination |
Drug Examples | Delavirdine, Efavirenz, Nevirapine, Rilpivirine | Zidovudine (AZT), Lamivudine (3TC), Emtricitabine (FTC), Tenofovir (TDF), Abacavir (ABC) |
Both NNRTIs and NRTIs are classes of antiretroviral drugs used for the treatment of AIDS, and they interfere with the process of RNA to DNA reverse transcription of the HIV virus. However, their mechanisms of action are different: NNRTIs work by non-competitively binding to the reverse transcriptase enzyme and inducing conformational changes, while NRTIs compete with natural nucleosides and incorporate into viral DNA, causing chain termination.
- Nucleoside vs Nucleotide Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors
- Antiviral vs Antiretroviral
- Nucleotide vs Nucleoside
- Nicotinamide vs Nicotinamide Riboside
- Nicotinamide Riboside vs Nicotinamide Mononucleotide
- Nicotinic Acid vs Nicotinamide
- Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide vs Nicotinamide Riboside
- Niacin vs Nicotinic Acid
- HIV vs AIDS
- Niacin vs Nicotinamide
- RNA Viruses vs Retroviruses
- SSRI vs SNRI
- Nitrofurantoin vs Trimethoprim
- DNA vs RNA Nucleotide
- Niacin vs Niacinamide
- N-acetyl Tyrosine vs L-tyrosine
- Amino Acid vs Nucleotide
- snRNA vs snRNP
- Lentivirus vs Retrovirus