title: A significantly improved Semliki Forest virus expression system based on translation enhancer segments from the viral capsid gene.
abstract: We recently described a system for heterologous gene expression in a variety of mammalian cell types that is based on an efficiently replicating Semliki Forest virus (SFV) variant in which an RNA encoding a foreign protein replaces the RNA that normally encodes the viruses' structural polyprotein. Although expression levels are sufficiently high for many purposes, in general they are only 10% of the level of the polyprotein in a wild type SFV infection. Here we show that the first 102 bases of the viral capsid gene function as a translational enhancer, and that SFV vectors incorporating this RNA increase heterologous protein synthesis to the level of wild type polyprotein.
authors.affiliation: Center for Biotechnology, Novum, Huddinge, Sweden.
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Sjöberg
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Suomalainen
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Garoff
mesh_terms: D002213:Capsid / Q000235:genetics*; D004261:DNA Replication; D004742:Enhancer Elements, Genetic; D015967:Gene Expression Regulation, Viral / Q000502:physiology*; D007763:Lac Operon; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D012672:Semliki forest virus / Q000235:genetics*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014760:Viral Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D014760:Viral Fusion Proteins