Effect of condensed tannins and related compounds on reverse transcriptase

Abstract

Abstract Inhibitory effects of 18 condensed tannins and related compounds on reverse transcriptase from an RNA tumour virus were examined in the presence of poly(riboadenylic acid) oligo(deoxythymidylic acid) ((rA) n (dT) 12–18 ) or poly(ribocytidylic acid) oligo(deoxyguanylic acid) ((rC) n (dG) 12–18 ) as a template‐primer. A potent inhibitory effect was found in galloylated monomers and oligomers as well as non‐galloylated tetramer, trimer and two of three dimers. The mode of the inhibition of one of them, procyanidin B‐2, was competitive with regard to the template‐primer.