Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA.
A conserved response to stress involves endonucleolytic cleavage of cytoplasmic transfer RNAs (tRNAs) by ribonucleases that are normally secreted or sequestered. Ribonuclease activation or release is an intriguing new aspect of cellular stress responses, with a potential impact on translation, apoptosis, cancer, and disease progression.