α-Phenylalanyl tRNA synthetase competes with Notch signaling through its N-terminal domain

Abstract

Phenylalanyl tRNA synthetase (PheRS) levels are elevated in multiple cancers and, interestingly, also in normal stem cells. Our results show that elevated levels of the α-PheRS subunit stimulate cell proliferation in different tissues, while its downregulation reduces organ size. Importantly, the proliferative activity of α-PheRS is independent of its aminoacyl tRNA synthase (aaRS) activity and does not visibly stimulate translation. Furthermore, stem cell-