Bs. Adinolfi et al., FULL ANTITUMOR ACTION OF RECOMBINANT SEMINAL RIBONUCLEASE DEPENDS ON THE REMOVAL OF ITS N-TERMINAL METHIONINE, Biochemical and biophysical research communications, 213(2), 1995, pp. 525-532
Bovine seminal RNase (BS-RNase) is a dimeric member of the pancreatic-
like ribonuclease superfamily, with antitumor activity. We report here
that recombinant Met(-1) BS-RNase is a less potent cytotoxic factor,
while structurally and catalytically indistinguishable from BS-RNase i
solated from natural sources. Mature recombinant BS-RNase instead disp
lays full antitumor action. This suggests that the conformation of the
N-terminal region of BS-RNase is among the structural determinants of
its antitumor action, in addition to its catalytic activity and its q
uaternary structure. (C) 1995 Academic Press, Inc.