The RNA genome of Seneca Valley virus (SVV), a recently identified picornavirus, contains an internal ribosome entry site (IRES) element which has structural and functional similarity to that from classical swine fever virus (CSFV) and hepatitis C virus, members of the Flaviviridae. The SVV IRES has an absolute requirement for the presence of a short region of virus-coding sequence to allow it to function either in cells or in rabbit reticulocyte lysate. The IRES activity does not require the translation initiation factor eIF4A or intact eIF4G. The predicted secondary structure indicates that the SVV IRES is more closely related to the CSFV IRES, including the presence of a bipartite IIId domain. Mutagenesis of the SVV IRES, coupled to functional assays, support the core elements of the IRES structure model, but surprisingly, deletion of the conserved IIId 2 domain had no effect on IRES activity, including 40S and eIF3 binding. This is the first example of a picornavirus IRES that is most closely related to the CSFV IRES and suggests the possibility of multiple, independent recombination events between the genomes of the Picornaviridae and Flaviviridae to give rise to similar IRES elements.Seneca Valley virus (SVV) is a recently discovered member of the picornavirus family. It was found as a contaminant in PER.C6 cell cultures, and its natural host has not yet been definitively identified, but a number of closely related viruses have been isolated from pigs (16). The complete genome sequence of SVV-001 (16) and the crystal structure of the virus capsid (52) have now been determined. The virus is most closely related to the cardioviruses, but there are some significant differences (see below), and hence it has been recommended that the virus is classified as a new species within a new genus (Senecavirus) of the Picornaviridae.SVV-001 and two of the related viruses (isolates 1278 and 66289) were inoculated into pigs; evidence of viral replication was obtained for all three viruses and for transmission of isolate 66289. However, in none of the experiments was any sign of illness observed (unpublished data and personal communication from J. Landgraf, USDA). An important feature of SVV is its ability to replicate selectively within human tumor cells. Owing to this novel activity and lack of observed pathogenicity in animals and humans, there is interest in using SVV as an oncolytic virus against neuroendocrine cancers (39), for which it is currently in clinical trials.All picornaviruses have a positive-sense, single-stranded RNA genome that is infectious and has to act both as an mRNA and as a template for RNA replication (32). Picornavirus RNA includes a single large open reading frame (ORF), encoding a polyprotein, which is flanked by a long 5Ј untranslated region (UTR) of approximately 600 to 1,300 nucleotides (nt) (depending on the virus) plus a shorter 3Ј UTR (Ͻ100 nt) with a poly(A) tail. The viral RNA lacks the 5Ј m 7 GpppN... cap structure found on all eukaryotic cytoplasmic mRNAs. Instead, a small virus-enco...