tRNA modifications: Necessary for correct tRNA‐derived fragments during the recovery from stress?

Transfer RNAs (tRNAs) play a central role in translating genomic information. The question whether these ancient molecules can also serve other biological functions is intriguing and has been discussed previously [1]. The combined evidence from many years of tRNA biology indicates that a common denominator for the involvement of tRNAs in processes beyond their mRNA decoding capacity is the cellular stress response [2].