Toxic component of a type II toxin-antitoxin (TA) system. A site-specific tRNA-(fMet) endonuclease, it cleaves both charged and uncharged tRNA-(fMet) between positions 38 and 39 at the anticodon stem-loop boundary. Does not cleave tRNA(Met), tRNA(Arg2), tRNA(His), tRNA(Leu), tRNA(Phe) tRNA(Thr1), tRNA(Tyr) or tRNA(Val). Overexpression in E.coli inhibits translation, leads to loss of cell growth and degradation of tRNA(fMet), these effects are neutralized by expression of cognate antitoxin VapB. Expression also activates translation initiation at correctly positioned elongator codons (AAA and to a lesser extent AAG). Ectopic overexpression in E.coli induces the YoeB toxin, but this is not the cause of VapC toxicity. Forms a complex with antitoxin VapB. Induced by amino acid starvation and by chloramphenicol treatment. Belongs to the PINc/VapC protein family.