Hepatitis C Virus RNA Internal Ribosome Entry Site (HCV IRES)

The Hepatitis C virus internal ribosome entry site (HCV IRES) is a highly structured RNA element located within the 5′ untranslated region (5′ UTR) of the HCV genome. It enables cap-independent translation initiation, allowing the viral RNA to directly recruit host ribosomes and initiate protein synthesis without relying on the typical 5′ cap structure used by most eukaryotic mRNAs. It directly binds both ribosomal proteins and rRNA via specific sequence/structural motifs.

Other names

IRES_HCVHCV_IRES

Direct binding of the 40S ribosomal subunit, positioning it at or near the start codon for translation initiation, bypassing cap-dependent translation.