The effect of pyrophosphate analogues on influenza virus RNA polymerase and influenza virus multiplication

Abstract
Summary Analogues of pyrophosphate have been tested as inhibitors of influenza virus RNA polymerase activity in cell-free assays. The most active compound, phosphonoformic acid (PFA), reduced the polymerase activity to 50 per cent at a concentration of 20 µm. The inhibition was dependent on the type of divalent cation present in the assay. PFA at a concentration of 400 µm also inhibited the influenza virus plaque formation by 90 per cent.