Published online May 15, 2003. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v9.i5.1008
Revised: November 27, 2002
Accepted: December 20, 2002
Published online: May 15, 2003
AIM: To investigate the anti-virus infection activity of internal ribosome entry site (IRES) specific inhibitor RNA (IRNA).
METHODS: IRNA eukaryotic vector pcRz-IRNA or mIRNA eukaryotic vector pcRz-mIRNA was tansfected into human hepatocarcinoma cells (HHCC), then selected with neomycin G418 for 4 to 8 weeks, and then infected with polio virus vaccinas line. The cytopethogenesis effect was investigated and the cell extract was collected. At last the polio virus titer of different cells was determined by plaque assay.
RESULTS: Constitutive expression of IRNA was not detrimental to cell growth. HCV IRES-mediated cap-independent translation was markedly inhibited in cells constitutively expressing IRNA compared to control hepatoma cells. However, cap-dependent translation was not significantly affected in these cell line. Additionally, HHCC cells constitutively expressing IRNA became refractory to infection of polio virus.
CONCLUSION: IRES specific IRNA can inhibit HCV IRES mediated translation and poliovirus replication.