Peptide Backbone Conformation Affects the Substrate Preference of Protein Arginine Methyltransferase I

Toward Understanding Molecular Recognition between PRMTs and their Substrates

Protein arginine methylation is a widespread eukaryotic posttranslational modification that occurs with as much frequency as ubiquitinylation. Yet, how the nine different human protein arginine methyltransferases (PRMTs) recognize their respective protein targets is not well understood. This review summarizes the progress that has been made over the last decade or more to resolve this significant biochemical question. A multipronged approach involving structural biology, substrate profiling, bioorthogonal chemistry and proteomics is discussed.

Protein arginine methyltransferases: insights into the enzyme structure and mechanism at the atomic level

Protein arginine methyltransferases (PRMTs) catalyze the methyl transfer to the arginine residues of protein substrates and are classified into three major types based on the final form of the methylated arginine. Recent studies have shown a strong correlation between PRMT expression level and the prognosis of cancer patients. Currently, crystal structures of eight PRMT members have been determined. Kinetic and structural studies have shown that all PRMTs share similar, but unique catalytic and substrate recognition mechanism. In this review, we discuss the structural similarities and differences of different PRMT members, focusing on their overall structure, S-adenosyl-L-methionine-binding pocket, substrate arginine recognition and catalytic mechanisms. Since PRMTs are valuable targets for drug discovery, we also rationally classify the known PRMT inhibitors into five classes and discuss their mechanisms of action at the atomic level.

Transepithelial Transport of YWDHNNPQIR and Its Metabolic Fate with Cytoprotection against Oxidative Stress in Human Intestinal Caco-2 Cells

Studies on antioxidant peptides extracted from foodstuff sources have included not only experiments to elucidate their chemical characteristics but also to investigate their bioavailability and intracellular mechanisms. This study was designed to clarify the absorption and antioxidative activity of YWDHNNPQIR (named RAP), which is derived from rapeseed protein using a Caco-2 cell transwell model. Results showed that 0.8% RAP (C₀ = 0.2 mM, t = 90 min) could maintain the original structure across the Caco-2 cell monolayers via the intracellular transcytosis pathway, and the apparent drug absorption rate (P_app) was (6.6 ± 1.24) × 10^-7 cm/s. Three main fragments (WDHNNPQIR, DHNNPQIR, and YWDHNNPQ) and five modified peptides derived from RAP were found in both the apical and basolateral side of the Caco-2 cell transwell model. Among these new metabolites, WDHNNPQIR had the greatest antioxidative activity in Caco-2 cells apart from the DPPH assay. With a RAP concentration of 200 μM, there were significant differences in four antioxidative indicators (T-AOC, GSH-Px, SOD, and MDA) compared to the oxidative stress control (P < 0.05). In addition, RAP may also influence apoptosis of the Caco-2 cells, which was caused by AAPH-induced oxidative damage.

Protein Arginine Methylation and Citrullination in Epigenetic Regulation

The post-translational modification of arginine residues represents a key mechanism for the epigenetic control of gene expression. Aberrant levels of histone arginine modifications have been linked to the development of several diseases including cancer. In recent years, great progress has been made in understanding the physiological role of individual arginine modifications and their effects on chromatin function. The present review aims to summarize the structural and functional aspects of histone arginine modifying enzymes and their impact on gene transcription. We will discuss the potential for targeting these proteins with small molecules in a variety of disease states.

Small Molecule Inhibitors of Protein Arginine Methyltransferases

INTRODUCTION

Arginine methylation is an abundant posttranslational modification occurring in mammalian cells and catalyzed by protein arginine methyltransferases (PRMTs). Misregulation and aberrant expression of PRMTs are associated with various disease states, notably cancer. PRMTs are prominent therapeutic targets in drug discovery.

AREAS COVERED

The authors provide an updated review of the research on the development of chemical modulators for PRMTs. Great efforts are seen in screening and designing potent and selective PRMT inhibitors, and a number of micromolar and submicromolar inhibitors have been obtained for key PRMT enzymes such as PRMT1, CARM1, and PRMT5. The authors provide a focus on their chemical structures, mechanism of action, and pharmacological activities. Pros and cons of each type of inhibitors are also discussed.

EXPERT OPINION

Several key challenging issues exist in PRMT inhibitor discovery. Structural mechanisms of many PRMT inhibitors remain unclear. There lacks consistency in potency data due to divergence of assay methods and conditions. Physiologically relevant cellular assays are warranted. Substantial engagements are needed to investigate pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of the new PRMT inhibitors in pertinent disease models. Discovery and evaluation of potent, isoform-selective, cell-permeable and in vivo-active PRMT modulators will continue to be an active arena of research in years ahead.

Biophysical and biochemical analysis of hnRNP K: arginine methylation, reversible aggregation and combinatorial binding to nucleic acids

Abstract Analysis of arginine methylation, which affects specific protein interactions in eukaryotic cells, requires access to methylated protein for biophysical and biochemical studies. Methylation of heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein K (hnRNP K) upon co-expression with protein arginine methyltransferase 1 in E. coli was monitored by mass spectrometry and found to be identical to the modification of hnRNP K purified from mammalian cells. Recombinant non-methylated and arginine-methylated hnRNP K (MethnRNP K) were used to characterize self-aggregation and nucleic acid binding. Analytical ultracentrifugation and static light scattering experiments revealed that hnRNP K methylation does not impact reversible self-aggregation, which can be prevented by high ionic strength and organic additives. Filter binding assays were used to compare the binding of non-methylated and MethnRNP K to the pyrimidine repeat-containing differentiation control element (DICE) of reticulocyte 15-lipoxygenase mRNA 3' UTR. No affinity differences were detected for both hnRNP K variants. A series of oligonucleotides carrying various numbers of C4 motifs at different positions was used in steady state competition assays with fluorescently-labeled functional differentiation control element (2R). Quantitative evaluation indicated that all hnRNP K homology domains of hnRNP K contribute differentially to RNA binding, with KH1-KH2 acting as a tandem domain and KH3 as an individual binding domain.

Targeting protein arginine N-methyltransferases with peptide-based inhibitors: opportunities and challenges

Recently peptide-based inhibitors have been used to selectively inhibit a family of epigenetic enzymes called protein arginine N-methyltransferases (PRMTs), which has been implicated in different physiological processes and human diseases, such as heart disease and cancer. The diverse efforts to tease out subtle structural differences among PRMT enzymes in order to generate selective inhibitors as well as existing challenges in the field will be examined. The acquisition of PRMT substrate sequence preferences and structural information obtained from small-molecule inhibitors have helped in developing different peptide-based inhibitors that show great promise not only as inhibitors, but also as molecular probes to characterize PRMTs.

Interactions affected by arginine methylation in the yeast protein-protein interaction network

Protein-protein interactions can be modulated by the methylation of arginine residues. As a means of testing this, we recently described a conditional two-hybrid system, based on the bacterial adenylate cyclase (BACTH) system. Here, we have used this conditional two-hybrid system to explore the effect of arginine methylation in modulating protein-protein interactions in a subset of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae arginine methylproteome network. Interactions between the yeast hub protein Npl3 and yeast proteins Air2, Ded1, Gbp2, Snp1, and Yra1 were first validated in the absence of methylation. The major yeast arginine methyltransferase Hmt1 was subsequently included in the conditional two-hybrid assay, initially to determine the degree of methylation that occurs. Proteins Snp1 and Yra1 were confirmed as Hmt1 substrates, with five and two novel arginine methylation sites mapped by ETD LC-MS/MS on these proteins, respectively. Proteins Ded1 and Gbp2, previously predicted but not confirmed as substrates of Hmt1, were also found to be methylated with five and seven sites mapped respectively. Air2 was found to be a novel substrate of Hmt1 with two sites mapped. Finally, we investigated the interactions of Npl3 with the five interaction partners in the presence of active Hmt1 and in the presence of Hmt1 with a G68R inactivation mutation. We found that the interaction between Npl3 and Air2, and Npl3 and Ded1, were significantly increased in the presence of active Hmt1; the interaction of Npl3 and Snp1 showed a similar degree of increase in interaction but this was not statistically significant. The interactions of Npl3 and Gbp2, along with Npl3 and Yra1, were not significantly increased or decreased by methylation. We conclude that methylarginine may be a widespread means by which the interactions of proteins are modulated.

Methylation of the nuclear poly(A)-binding protein by type I protein arginine methyltransferases – how and why

Asymmetric dimethylation of arginine side chains in proteins is a frequent posttranslational modification, catalyzed by type I protein arginine methyltransferases (PRMTs). This article summarizes what is known about this modification in the nuclear poly(A)-binding protein (PABPN1). PABPN1 contains 13 dimethylated arginine residues in its C-terminal domain. Three enzymes, PRMT1, 3, and 6, can methylate PABPN1. Although 26 methyl groups are transferred to one PABPN1 molecule, the PRMTs do so in a distributive reaction, i.e., only a single methyl group is transferred per binding event. As PRMTs form dimers, with the active sites accessible from a small central cavity, backbone conformation around the methyl-accepting arginine is an important determinant of substrate specificity. Neither the association of PABPN1 with poly(A) nor its role in poly(A) tail synthesis is affected by arginine methylation. At least at low protein concentration, methylation does not affect the protein’s tendency to oligomerize. The dimethylarginine residues of PABPN1 are located in the binding site for its nuclear import receptor, transportin. Arginine methylation weakens this interaction about 10-fold. Very recent evidence suggests that arginine methylation as a way of fine-tuning the interactions between transportin and its cargo may be a general mechanism.