Protein Arginine Methyltransferase PRMT1 Is Essential for Palatogenesis

Relationship between arginine methylation and vascular calcification

In patients on maintenance hemodialysis (MHD), vascular calcification (VC) is an independent predictor of cardiovascular disease (CVD), which is the primary cause of death in chronic kidney disease (CKD). The main component of VC in CKD is the vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). VC is an ordered, dynamic activity. Under the stresses of oxidative stress and calcium-‑phosphorus imbalance, VSMCs undergo osteogenic phenotypic transdifferentiation, which promotes the formation of VC. In addition to traditional epigenetics like RNA and DNA control, post-translational modifications have been discovered to be involved in the regulation of VC in recent years. It has been reported that the process of osteoblast differentiation is impacted by catalytic histone or non-histone arginine methylation. Its function in the osteogenic process is comparable to that of VC. Thus, we propose that arginine methylation regulates VC via many signaling pathways, including as NF-B, WNT, AKT/PI3K, TGF-/BMP/SMAD, and IL-6/STAT3. It might also regulate the VC-related calcification regulatory factors, oxidative stress, and endoplasmic reticulum stress. Consequently, we propose that arginine methylation regulates the calcification of the arteries and outline the regulatory mechanisms involved.

PRMT1 in human neoplasm: cancer biology and potential therapeutic target

Protein arginine methyltransferase 1 (PRMT1), the predominant type I protein arginine methyltransferase, plays a crucial role in normal biological functions by catalyzing the methylation of arginine side chains, specifically monomethylarginine (MMA) and asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), within proteins. Recent investigations have unveiled an association between dysregulated PRMT1 expression and the initiation and progression of tumors, significantly impacting patient prognosis, attributed to PRMT1's involvement in regulating various facets of tumor cell biology, including DNA damage repair, transcriptional and translational regulation, as well as signal transduction. In this review, we present an overview of recent advancements in PRMT1 research across different tumor types, with a specific focus on its contributions to tumor cell proliferation, metastasis, invasion, and drug resistance. Additionally, we expound on the dynamic functions of PRMT1 during distinct stages of cancer progression, elucidating its unique regulatory mechanisms within the same signaling pathway and distinguishing between its promotive and inhibitory effects. Importantly, we sought to provide a comprehensive summary and analysis of recent research progress on PRMT1 in tumors, contributing to a deeper understanding of its role in tumorigenesis, development, and potential treatment strategies.

Exploring the roles of noncoding RNAs in craniofacial abnormalities: A systematic review

Congenital craniofacial abnormalities are congenital anomalies of variable expressivity and severity with a recognizable set of abnormalities, which are derived from five identifiable primordial structures. They can occur unilaterally or bilaterally and include various malformations such as cleft lip with/without palate, craniosynostosis, and craniofacial microsomia. To date, the molecular etiology of craniofacial abnormalities is largely unknown. Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), including microRNAs, long ncRNAs, circular RNAs and PIWI-interacting RNAs, function as major regulators of cellular epigenetic hallmarks via regulation of various molecular and cellular processes. Recently, aberrant expression of ncRNAs has been implicated in many diseases, including craniofacial abnormalities. Consequently, this review focuses on the role and mechanism of ncRNAs in regulating craniofacial development in the hope of providing clues to identify potential therapeutic targets.

PRMT1-mediated arginine methylation promotes postnatal calvaria bone formation through BMP-Smad signaling

PRMT1 deficiency leads to severely compromised craniofacial development in neural crest cells and profound abnormalities of the craniofacial tissues. Here, we show PRMT1 controls several key processes in calvarial development, including frontal and parietal bone growth rate and the boundary between sutural and osteogenic cells. Pharmacologic PRMT1 inhibition suppresses MC3T3-E1 cell viability and proliferation and impairs osteogenic differentiation. In this text, we investigate the cellular events behind the morphological changes and uncover an essential role of PRMT1 in simulating postnatal bone formation. Inhibition of PRMT1 alleviated BMP signaling through Smads phosphorylation and reduced the deposition of the H4R3me2a mark. Our study demonstrates a regulatory mechanism whereby PRMT1 regulates BMP signaling and the overall properties of the calvaria bone through Smads methylation, which may facilitate the development of an effective therapeutic strategy for craniosynostosis.

Cellular pathways influenced by protein arginine methylation: Implications for cancer

Arginine methylation is an influential post-translational modification occurring on histones, RNA binding proteins, and many other cellular proteins, affecting their function by altering their protein-protein and protein-nucleic acid interactions. Recently, a wealth of information has been gathered, implicating protein arginine methyltransferases (PRMTs), enzymes that deposit arginine methylation, in transcription, pre-mRNA splicing, DNA damage signaling, and immune signaling with major implications for cancer therapy, especially immunotherapy. This review summarizes this recent progress and the current state of PRMT inhibitors, some in clinical trials, as promising drug targets for cancer.

PRMT1-p53 Pathway Controls Epicardial EMT and Invasion

Epicardial cells are cardiac progenitors that give rise to the majority of cardiac fibroblasts, coronary smooth muscle cells, and pericytes during development. An integral phase of epicardial fate transition is epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) that confers motility. We uncover an essential role for the protein arginine methyltransferase 1 (PRMT1) in epicardial invasion and differentiation. Using scRNA-seq, we show that epicardial-specific deletion of Prmt1 reduced matrix and ribosomal gene expression in epicardial-derived cell lineages. PRMT1 regulates splicing of Mdm4, which is a key controller of p53 stability. Loss of PRMT1 leads to accumulation of p53 that enhances Slug degradation and blocks EMT. During heart development, the PRMT1-p53 pathway is required for epicardial invasion and formation of epicardial-derived lineages: cardiac fibroblasts, coronary smooth muscle cells, and pericytes. Consequently, this pathway modulates ventricular morphogenesis and coronary vessel formation. Altogether, our study reveals molecular mechanisms involving the PRMT1-p53 pathway and establish its roles in heart development.

Genetic variants in S-adenosyl-methionine synthesis pathway and nonsyndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate in Chile

BACKGROUND

The S-adenosyl-methionine (SAM) availability is crucial for DNA methylation, an epigenetic mechanism involved in nonsyndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate (NSCL/P) expression. The aim of this study was to assess the association between single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of genes involved in SAM synthesis and NSCL/P in a Chilean population.

METHODS

In 234 cases and 309 controls, 18 SNPs in AHCY, MTR, MTRR, and MAT2A were genotyped, and the association between them and the phenotype was evaluated based on additive (allele), dominant, recessive and haplotype models, by odds ratio (OR) computing.

RESULTS

Three deep intronic SNPs of MTR showed a protective effect on NSCL/P expression: rs10925239 (OR 0.68; p = 0.0032; q = 0.0192), rs10925254 (OR 0.66; p = 0.0018; q = 0.0162), and rs3768142 (OR 0.66; p = 0.0015; q = 0.0162). Annotations in expression database demonstrate that the protective allele of the three SNPs is associated with a reduction of MTR expression summed to the prediction by bioinformatic tools of its potentiality to modify splicing sites.

CONCLUSIONS

The protective effect against NSCL/P of these intronic MTR SNPs seems to be related to a decrease in MTR enzyme expression, modulating the SAM availability for proper substrate methylation. However, functional analyses are necessary to confirm our findings.

IMPACT

SAM synthesis pathway genetic variants are factors associated to NSCL/P. This article adds new evidence for folate related genes in NSCL/P in Chile. Its impact is to contribute with potential new markers for genetic counseling.

Role of epigenetics and miRNAs in orofacial clefts

Orofacial clefts (OFCs) have multiple etiologies and likely result from an interplay between genetic and environmental factors. Within the last decade, studies have implicated specific epigenetic modifications and noncoding RNAs as additional facets of OFC etiology. Altered gene expression through DNA methylation and histone modification offer novel insights into how specific genes contribute to distinct OFC subtypes. Epigenetics research has also provided further evidence that cleft lip only (CLO) is a cleft subtype with distinct etiology. Polymorphisms or misexpression of genes encoding microRNAs, as well as their targets, contribute to OFC risk. The ability to experimentally manipulate epigenetic changes and noncoding RNAs in animal models, such as zebrafish, Xenopus, mice, and rats, has offered novel insights into the mechanisms of various OFC subtypes. Although much remains to be understood, recent advancements in our understanding of OFC etiology may advise future strategies of research and preventive care.

Oxygen and embryonic growth: the role of insulin-like growth factor signaling

Oxygen is indispensable for the efficient release of chemical energy from nutrient molecules in cells. Therefore, the local oxygen tension is one of the most critical factors affecting physiological processes. In most viviparous species, many pathological conditions result in abnormal oxygen tension in the uterus, which modifies the growth and development of the fetus. Insulin-like growth factor (IGF/Igf) is one of the most important hormones for the regulation of somatic growth in animals. Changes in oxygen levels modulate the activity of the IGF/Igf signaling system, which in turn regulates the embryonic growth rate. In general, there are serious difficulties associated with monitoring and studying rodent embryos in utero. The zebrafish is a convenient experimental model to study the relationship between embryonic growth and environmental conditions. Most importantly, the fish model makes it possible to rapidly evaluate embryonic growth and development under entirely controlled environments without interfering with the mother organism. In this review, firstly an overview is given of the fluctuation of environmental oxygen, the IGF-system, and the advantages of the zebrafish model for studying embryonic growth. Then, the relationships of dynamic environmental oxygen and embryonic growth rate are outlined with a specific focus on the changes in the IGF/Igf-system in the zebrafish model. This review will shed light on the fine-tuning mechanisms of the embryonic IGF/Igf-system under different oxygen levels, including constant normoxia, hypoxia, and re-oxygenation.

Wnt Signaling in Neural Crest Ontogenesis and Oncogenesis

Neural crest (NC) cells are a temporary population of multipotent stem cells that generate a diverse array of cell types, including craniofacial bone and cartilage, smooth muscle cells, melanocytes, and peripheral neurons and glia during embryonic development. Defective neural crest development can cause severe and common structural birth defects, such as craniofacial anomalies and congenital heart disease. In the early vertebrate embryos, NC cells emerge from the dorsal edge of the neural tube during neurulation and then migrate extensively throughout the anterior-posterior body axis to generate numerous derivatives. Wnt signaling plays essential roles in embryonic development and cancer. This review summarizes current understanding of Wnt signaling in NC cell induction, delamination, migration, multipotency, and fate determination, as well as in NC-derived cancers.

The regulation, functions and clinical relevance of arginine methylation

Methylation of arginine residues by protein arginine methyltransferases (PRMTs) is involved in the regulation of fundamental cellular processes, including transcription, RNA processing, signal transduction cascades, the DNA damage response and liquid-liquid phase separation. Recent studies have provided considerable advances in the development of experimental tools and the identification of clinically relevant PRMT inhibitors. In this review, we discuss the regulation of PRMTs, their various cellular roles and the clinical relevance of PRMT inhibitors for the therapy of neurodegenerative diseases and cancer.

Roles and regulation of histone methylation in animal development

Histone methylation can occur at various sites in histone proteins, primarily on lysine and arginine residues, and it can be governed by multiple positive and negative regulators, even at a single site, to either activate or repress transcription. It is now apparent that histone methylation is critical for almost all stages of development, and its proper regulation is essential for ensuring the coordinated expression of gene networks that govern pluripotency, body patterning and differentiation along appropriate lineages and organogenesis. Notably, developmental histone methylation is highly dynamic. Early embryonic systems display unique histone methylation patterns, prominently including the presence of bivalent (both gene-activating and gene-repressive) marks at lineage-specific genes that resolve to monovalent marks during differentiation, which ensures that appropriate genes are expressed in each tissue type. Studies of the effects of methylation on embryonic stem cell pluripotency and differentiation have helped to elucidate the developmental roles of histone methylation. It has been revealed that methylation and demethylation of both activating and repressive marks are essential for establishing embryonic and extra-embryonic lineages, for ensuring gene dosage compensation via genomic imprinting and for establishing body patterning via HOX gene regulation. Not surprisingly, aberrant methylation during embryogenesis can lead to defects in body patterning and in the development of specific organs. Human genetic disorders arising from mutations in histone methylation regulators have revealed their important roles in the developing skeletal and nervous systems, and they highlight the overlapping and unique roles of different patterns of methylation in ensuring proper development.