Ribonuclease that plays an essential role in innate immune response by recognizing and degrading RNAs from microbial pathogens that are subsequently sensed by TLR8 (PubMed:31778653). Cleaves preferentially single-stranded RNA molecules between purine and uridine residues, which critically contributes to the supply of catabolic uridine and the generation of purine-2′,3′-cyclophosphate-terminated oligoribonucleotides (PubMed:31778653). In turn, RNase T2 degradation products promote the RNA-dependent activation of TLR8 (PubMed:31778653). Also plays a key role in degradation of mitochondrial RNA and processing of non-coding RNA imported from the cytosol into mitochondria (PubMed:28730546, PubMed:30184494). Participates as well in degradation of mitochondrion-associated cytosolic rRNAs (PubMed:30385512).
