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Updated: Jul 11, 2026

Exploring the Arginine Methylome by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
07:02

Exploring the Arginine Methylome by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

Published on: December 16, 2021

Protein arginine-methyltransferase-dependent oncogenesis

Ngai Cheung1, Li Chong Chan, Alex Thompson

  • 1Haemato-Oncology Section, The Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton, Greater London SM2 5NG, UK.

Nature Cell Biology
|September 25, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Protein arginine methyltransferase 1 (PRMT1) is crucial in Mixed Lineage Leukaemia (MLL) oncogenesis. Targeting PRMT1 and Sam68 may offer new cancer therapies by disrupting MLL fusion complex activity.

Area of Science:

  • Epigenetics
  • Molecular Biology
  • Oncology

Background:

  • Reversible epigenetic modifications regulate gene expression and oncogenesis.
  • Histone methylation by PRMT1 is vital for active chromatin.
  • The role of PRMTs in cancer remained unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of PRMT1 in Mixed Lineage Leukaemia (MLL) oncogenesis.
  • To identify components of the MLL oncogenic transcriptional complex.
  • To explore PRMTs as potential therapeutic targets in cancer.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of PRMT1 within MLL oncogenic transcriptional complexes.
  • Assessing the impact of MLL-PRMT1/Sam68 fusion on hematopoietic cell self-renewal.
  • Evaluating the effect of PRMT1/Sam68 knockdown on MLL-mediated transformation.

Main Results:

  • PRMT1 is an essential component of a novel MLL oncogenic transcriptional complex.
  • This complex exhibits both histone acetylation and H4R3 methylation activities.
  • MLL fusion with PRMT1 or Sam68 enhances hematopoietic cell self-renewal, while knockdown suppresses MLL transformation.

Conclusions:

  • PRMT1 plays an essential function in oncogenesis via the MLL fusion complex.
  • PRMTs are identified as novel therapeutic targets for human cancers.
  • This study dissects the oncogenic transcriptional machinery associated with MLL fusion.

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