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RNA N-Glycosidase Activity of Ribosome-Inactivating Proteins

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Book cover Toxic Plant Proteins

Part of the book series: Plant Cell Monographs ((CELLMONO,volume 18))

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Abstract

Mammalian and bacterial ribosomes have ribosomal RNAs comprising 7,000 and 5,000 nucleotides, respectively. The RNA N-glycosidase activity of ricin and other ribosome-inactivating proteins (RIPs) specifically catalyzes removal of single adenine in the sarcin/ricin loop of the largest (28S or 23S) rRNA. Breakage of this single N-glycosidic bond is entirely responsible for the cytotoxicity. Ricin recognizes a highly ordered three-dimensional structure of the sarcin/ricin domain, which directly interacts with elongation factors to help switching through different states of the ribosome during the translation elongation cycle. Plants have an enzyme that specifically cleaves the phophodiester bond at the depurinated ricin site of 28S rRNA, named ribosomal RNA apurinic site-specific lyase (RALyase). The set of RIP and RALyase and the depurination and cleavage of the 28S rRNA are likely to have a role in senescence in plants.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cell-Free Science and Technology Research Center and Venture Business Laboratory, Ehime University, 3 Bunkyo-cho, Matsuyama, Ehime, 790-8577, Japan

    Kazuyuki Takai, Tatsuya Sawasaki & Yaeta Endo

Authors
  1. Kazuyuki Takai
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  2. Tatsuya Sawasaki
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  3. Yaeta Endo
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yaeta Endo .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. Biological Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV47AL, United Kingdom

    J. Michael Lord

  2. Dept. Biological Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV47AL, United Kingdom

    Martin R. Hartley

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Takai, K., Sawasaki, T., Endo, Y. (2010). RNA N-Glycosidase Activity of Ribosome-Inactivating Proteins. In: Lord, J., Hartley, M. (eds) Toxic Plant Proteins. Plant Cell Monographs, vol 18. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-12176-0_2

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