Cowpea mosaic virus (CPMV) middle component RNA (M-RNA) encodes two proteins of 105 and 95 kDa, of which translation starts at nucleotide (nt) 161 and nt 512, respectively. In vitro translation of both proteins directed by T7 transcripts of M-RNA was stimulated fourfold by eukaryotic initiation factor 4F (eIF-4F), the cap-binding protein complex. The ratio of the synthesis of both proteins after translation was not influenced by eIF-4F or by any known eIF. Part of the CPMV 5' sequence was cloned downstream of the 5' untranslated region of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC); the latter untranslated sequence has a highly stable secondary structure, preventing efficient translation of ODC. Insertion of nt 161 to 512 of CPMV M-RNA upstream of the ODC initiation codon resulted in a marked increase in ODC translation, which indicates that the CPMV sequence contains an internal ribosome-binding site. The insertion conferred stimulation by eIF-4F on ODC translation, showing that eIF-4F is able to stimulate internal initiation.