InterPro domain: IPR033697

Ribonuclease T2 (RNase T2) is a widespread family of secreted RNases found in every organism examined thus far. This family includes RNase Rh, RNase MC1, RNase LE, and self-incompatibility RNases (S-RNases) [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]. Plant T2 RNases are expressed during leaf senescence in order to scavenge phosphate from ribonucleotides. They are also expressed in response to wounding or pathogen invasion. S-RNases are thought to prevent self-fertilization by acting as selective cytotoxins of "self" pollen. Generally, RNases have two distinct binding sites: the primary site (B1 site) and the subsite (B2 site), for nucleotides located at the 5'- and 3'- terminal ends of the sissile bond, respectively.

This entry includes the eukaryotic RNase T2 family members.

1. Ribonucleases from T2 family. Crit. Rev. Microbiol. 28, 79-122
2. Ribonuclease T2. Meth. Enzymol. 341, 42-55
3. Crystal structure of a ribonuclease from the seeds of bitter gourd (Momordica charantia) at 1.75 A resolution. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1433, 253-60
4. Crystal structures of the ribonuclease MC1 mutants N71T and N71S in complex with 5'-GMP: structural basis for alterations in substrate specificity. Biochemistry 42, 5270-8
5. Characterization of Rny1, the Saccharomyces cerevisiae member of the T2 RNase family of RNases: unexpected functions for ancient enzymes? Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 98, 1018-23