[Ribonucleases and proteins related to it, as well as ribonuclease inhibitors of proteinaceous nature]

The recent discovery of unexpected functional diversity of different RNA molecules and some products of their degradation renewed the interest in ribonucleases. This review mainly presents recent systematized data on animal ribonucleases, including pyrimidine-specific ribonucleases, angiogenin, eosinophil-derived neurotoxin, eosinophil cationic protein, and lectins from frog eggs. The relationship between amino acid sequences and possible pathways of the evolution of this protein superfamily is discussed, as well as properties and primary structures of protein ribonuclease inhibitors.