INTRODUCTION: USES AND SOURCE

(source: http://www.lerner.ccf.org/cancerbio/silverman/images/001.jpg)

2-5 A Dependent Ribonuclease functions in the antiviral and antiproliferative roles of interferons. RNase L is activated by dimerization, which occurs upon 2'-5'A binding, and results in cleavage of all RNA in the cell.

     2-5 A Dependent Ribonuclease or also called 2'-5' oligoadenylate synthetase-dependent ribonuclease (OAS) is only activated under a viral infection, when a tight binding of the inactive form of the protein with a viral dsRNA, consisting of the retrovirus’ ssRNA and its complementary strand, takes place. Once active, OAS converts ATP to pyrophosphate and 2’-5’-linked oligoadenylates (2-5A), which are 5’ end phosphorylated. 2-5 A molecules then bind to RNase L, promoting its activation by dimerization. In its activated form RNase L cleaves all RNA molecules in the cell leading to autophagy and apoptosis. Some of the resulting RNA fragments can also further induce the production of INF-β as noted in the Significance section.

     This dimerization and activation of RNase L can be recognized using Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET), as oligoribonucleotides containing a quencher and a fluorophore on opposite sites are added to a solution with inactive RNase L. The FRET signal is then recorded as the quencher and the fluorophore are very close to each other. Upon the addition of 2-5A molecules, RNase L becomes active, cleaving the oligoribonucleotides and interfering in the FRET signal.

     2-5 A Dependent Ribonuclease is present in every minute quantities during the normal cell cycle. When interferon binds to cell receptors, it activates transcription of around 300 genes to bring about the antiviral state. Among the enzymes produced is RNase L, which is initially in an inactive form. A set of transcribed genes codes for 2’-5’ Oligoadenylate Synthetase (OAS). The transcribed RNA is then spliced and modified in the nucleus before reaching the cytoplasm and being translated into an inactive form of OAS. The location of OAS in the cell and the length of the 2’-5’ oligoadenylate depends on the post-transcriptional and post-translational modifications of OAS.