PRIMER TRNA(TRP) OF RSV-TRANSFORMED OR RAV-1-INFECTED CELLS UP-REGULATES THE ANTIRIBOSOMAL ACTIVITY OF GELONIN

Some ribosome-inactivating proteins (RIPs) with RNA-N-glycosidase acti vity on 28S rRNA require, for maximal inactivation of ribosomes, the p resence of tRNA. tRNA(Trp) specifically up-regulates gelonin, the RIP from Gelonium multiflorum. The same tRNA is the primer of the reverse transcriptase of Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) and of its mutant (RAV-1) wh ich lacks the src gene. Here we demonstrate that gelonin is more activ e in inhibiting endogenous protein synthesis by lysates of RSV-transfo rmed or RAV-1-infected cells and that such increase in activity correl ates with the increased amount of primer tRNA(Trp) in the cells. (C) S ociete francaise de biochimie et biologie moleculaire / Elsevier, Pari s.