What is the primary mechanism of action of Saquinavir mesylate?

Saquinavir mesylate primarily acts as a protease inhibitor. This class of antiviral agents is specifically designed to inhibit the function of HIV protease, an enzyme crucial for the virus's lifecycle. HIV protease is responsible for cleaving viral polyproteins into functional proteins, which are essential for creating new viral particles that can infect other cells. By inhibiting this enzyme, Saquinavir effectively stops the maturation of viral particles, thereby reducing the viral load in the body and limiting the progression of HIV.

The other options describe different classes of antiviral agents with different mechanisms of action. RNA synthesis inhibitors target the viral RNA replication process, nucleotide analogs act by mimicking nucleotides to interfere with viral genome replication, and reverse transcriptase inhibitors block the enzyme that converts viral RNA into DNA. These classes of drugs are distinct from the specific mechanism by which Saquinavir functions, highlighting the unique role that protease inhibitors play in the treatment of HIV.