Internal ribosome entry sequences IRESs

Figure 5, Primary screen far drugs targeted to the APP S untranslated region. In a screen of a library of 1,200 FDA-pre-approved compounds phenserine(ACHEi) and the potent intracellular iron chelator, desferrioxamine, were the validated positive control drugs that suppressed APP mRNA translation through APP 5 UTR sequences. In this transfection based screen several lead APP-5 UTR directed drugs were identified to limit luciferase gene expression driven by the APP 5 UTR. As an internal selectivity control for this screen, downstream dicistronic GFP gene expression (at the translational level by a viral internal ribosome entry site (IRES)) was unresponsive to drug action. Several leads (i,e, dimercaptopropanol) were identified to be chelators as described.

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