Tinker, tailor, antiviral: RNA virus inhibition by induced recombination

Abstract

Nucleotide analogs can help to combat RNA virus growth by stalling the viral RNA polymerase or by introducing lethal mutations into the viral genome. Janissen and Woodman et al. have used single-molecule, sequencing, and virological methods to reveal that antiviral T-1106 provides a third mechanism of counterattack: inducing recombination.