AIM: To substantiate the in vitro translational studies of a cross-kingdom, internal ribosome entry site (IRES), the 5 untranslated region of the Rhopalosiphum padi virus (RhPV), can function in mammalian cells and act as a shuttle IRES between insect cells and mammalian cells. METHODS: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) promoter-based bicistronic mammalian cell expression vectors, either in plasmids or baculovirus vectors, were generated. Plasmid transient transfection and baculovirus transduction assays were performed to test whether the RhPV IRES can mediate translation activity in versatile mammalian cell lines. RESULTS: Both plasmids and recombinant baculoviruses containing the CMV promoter and the RhPV IRES can mediate bicistronic gene expression in mammalian cells. However, in the CMV promoter containing recombinant baculovirus-infected insect Sf21 cells, only the second cistron gene expression was observed. Northern blot analysis and a promoterless assay demonstrated that the RhPV IRES exhibited cryptic promoter activity in baculovirus-infected insect cells. CONCLUSION: RhPV IRES can mediate gene expression in both insect cells and mammalian cells, and this characteristic of the RhPV IRES will facilitate the development of a bicistronic baculovirus gene therapy vectors.
AIM: To substantiate the in vitro translational studies of a cross-kingdom, internal ribosome entry site (IRES), the 5 untranslated region of the Rhopalosiphum padi virus (RhPV), can function in mammalian cells and act as a shuttle IRES between insect cells and mammalian cells. METHODS: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) promoter-based bicistronic mammalian cell expression vectors, either in plasmids or baculovirus vectors, were generated. Plasmid transient transfection and baculovirus transduction assays were performed to test whether the RhPV IRES can mediate translation activity in versatile mammalian cell lines. RESULTS: Both plasmids and recombinant baculoviruses containing the CMV promoter and the RhPV IRES can mediate bicistronic gene expression in mammalian cells. However, in the CMV promoter containing recombinant baculovirus-infected insect Sf21 cells, only the second cistron gene expression was observed. Northern blot analysis and a promoterless assay demonstrated that the RhPV IRES exhibited cryptic promoter activity in baculovirus-infected insect cells. CONCLUSION:RhPV IRES can mediate gene expression in both insect cells and mammalian cells, and this characteristic of the RhPV IRES will facilitate the development of a bicistronic baculovirus gene therapy vectors.