title: Interferon inducibility of mammalian tryptophanyl-tRNA synthetase: new perspectives.
abstract: Mammalian aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases are indispensible components of the cell's protein-synthesizing machinery. Surprisingly, recent experiments have demonstrated that synthesis of tryptophanyl-tRNA synthetase (WRS) is markedly enhanced after incubation of human cells with interferons. Why is this housekeeping enzyme interferon-inducible? Several hypotheses have been suggested. One hypothesis, that premature termination of protein synthesis was involved, was boosted by the discovery that the deduced amino acid sequence of the mammalian peptide chain release factor (RF) closely resembled that of WRS. Further investigation, however, suggests that the DNA encoding RF was wrongly identified and in fact encodes a rabbit WRS subunit. Other hypotheses on the interferon-inducibility of WRS, including the possibility that the protein performs other, regulatory functions in addition to its core enzymic activity, remain to be explored.
authors.affiliation: Institut Jacques Monod, Paris, France.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kisselev
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Frolova
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Haenni
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D004790:Enzyme Induction / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007372:Interferons / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010454:Peptide Termination Factors / Q000235:genetics; D014157:Transcription Factors; D014369:Tryptophan-tRNA Ligase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D010454:Peptide Termination Factors; D014157:Transcription Factors; C070289:peptide chain release factor, mammalian; D007372:Interferons; D014369:Tryptophan-tRNA Ligase