title: Polypurine (A)-rich sequences promote cross-kingdom conservation of internal ribosome entry.
abstract: The internal ribosome entry sites (IRES), IRES(CP,148)(CR) and IRES(MP,75)(CR), precede the coat protein (CP) and movement protein (MP) genes of crucifer-infecting tobamovirus (crTMV), respectively. In the present work, we analyzed the activity of these elements in transgenic plants and other organisms. Comparison of the relative activities of the crTMV IRES elements and the IRES from an animal virus--encephalomyocarditis virus--in plant, yeast, and HeLa cells identified the 148-nt IRES(CP,148)(CR) as the strongest element that also displayed IRES activity across all kingdoms. Deletion analysis suggested that the polypurine (A)-rich sequences (PARSs) contained in IRES(CP,148)(CR) are responsible for these features. On the basis of those findings, we designed artificial PARS-containing elements and showed that they, too, promote internal translation from dicistronic transcripts in vitro, in tobacco protoplasts and in HeLa cells. The maximum IRES activity was obtained from multiple copies of either (A)(4)G(A)(2)(G)(2) or G(A)(2-5) as contained in IRES(CP,148)(CR). Remarkably, even homopolymeric poly(A) was moderately active, whereas a poly(G) homopolymer was not active. Furthermore, a database search for existing PARS sequences in 5'-untranslated regions (5'UTR) of genes in tobacco genome allowed the easy identification of a number of IRES candidates, in particular in the 5'UTR of the gene encoding Nicotiana tabacum heat-shock factor 1 (NtHSF1). Consistent with our prediction, the 5'UTR of NtHSF1 turned out to be an IRES element active in vitro, in plant protoplasts and HeLa cells. We predict that PARS elements, when found in other mRNAs, will show a similar activity.
authors.affiliation: A. N. Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Moscow State University, 119899 Moscow, Russia.
authors.forename: Yuri L
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Dorokhov
authors.forename: Maxim V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Skulachev
authors.forename: Peter A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Ivanov
authors.forename: Svetlana D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Zvereva
authors.forename: Lydia G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Tjulkina
authors.forename: Andres
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Merits
authors.forename: Yuri Y
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Gleba
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hohn
authors.forename: Joseph G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Atabekov
mesh_terms: D020121:5' Untranslated Regions; D012321:DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases / Q000378:metabolism; D019992:Databases as Topic; D017353:Gene Deletion; D005796:Genes; D005966:Glucuronidase / Q000378:metabolism; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000378:metabolism; D010957:Plasmids / Q000378:metabolism; D011523:Protoplasts / Q000737:chemistry; D011687:Purines / Q000737:chemistry*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D012270:Ribosomes / Q000737:chemistry*; D013045:Species Specificity; D014162:Transfection; D014616:Vaccinia virus / Q000378:metabolism; D014764:Viral Proteins
chemical_list: D020121:5' Untranslated Regions; D011687:Purines; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014764:Viral Proteins; C062210:bacteriophage T7 RNA polymerase; D012321:DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases; D005966:Glucuronidase