Differential up-regulation by tRNAs of ribosome-inactivating proteins

Some plant ribosome-inactivating proteins (RIPs) with RNA-N-glycosidase activity on 28S RNA require, for the inactivation of ribosomes, the presence of macromolecular cofactors present in post-ribosomal supernatants. In the case of gelonin one of the cofactors is tRNATrp lacking one or two nucleotides at the 3'-CCA end [Brigotti, M., Carnicelli, D., Alvergna, P., Pallanca, A., Lorenzetti, R., Denaro, M., Sperti, S. and Montanaro, L. (1995) Biochem. J. 310, 249-253]. In the present study it is shown that tRNAs are involved in the up-regulation of all the cofactor-requiring RIPs up to now identified (agrostin, barley RIP, PAP and tritin, besides gelonin). Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis shows that tRNA fractions with different mobilities stimulate different RIPs. With the identification of agrostin, the cofactor-requiring RIPs (italics) add to five out of a total of thirteen investigated: barley RIP, bryodin-R, gelonin, lychnin, momordin, momorcochin-S, PAP, saporin-6, tritin [Carnicelli, D., Brigotti, M., Montanaro, L. and Sperti, S. (1992) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 182, 579-582], agrostin, luffin, trichokirin and trichosanthin (present study).