Angiogenin-catalyzed cleavage within tRNA anticodon-loops identified by cP-RNA-seq

Angiogenin (Ang), an endoribonuclease belonging to the RNase A superfamily, cleaves the anticodon-loops of tRNAs to produce tRNA half molecules. Although previous studies have demonstrated the involvement of Ang in the pathobiology of neurodegenerative disorders, the characterization of Ang-generated tRNA halves in neuronal cells remains limited. This is partly due to the technical limitations of standard RNA-seq methods, which cannot capture Ang-generated RNAs containing a 2',3'-cyclic phosphate (cP). In this report, we established an Ang treatment model using SH-SY5Y, a human neuroblastoma cell line, and demonstrated Ang-dependent accumulation of tRNA halves. By performing cP-RNA-seq, which selectively captures cP-containing RNAs, we identified Ang-generated tRNA halves and the specific cleavage positions within tRNA anticodon-loops responsible for their generation. Our results provide insights into the anticodon-loop cleavage and the selective production of a specific subset of tRNA halves by Ang.