The Role of Protein Arginine Methylation as a Post-Translational Modification in Cellular Homeostasis and Disease

Post-translational modifications (PTMs) of proteins in eukaryotic cells are essential for regulating proteome function and maintaining cellular homeostasis. Among these, the methylation modification of arginine has received much attention in recent years. The enzymatic process of arginine methylation is catalyzed by a family of approximately nine known protein arginine methyltransferases (PRMTs) in humans, which utilize S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) as the methyl group donor. PRMTs are involved in biological processes such as gene transcription, signal transduction, and DNA damage repair. Their role in normal cellular functions and pathological disease states is becoming increasingly clear with the advancement of research. This paper provides a review of the numerous roles of members of the PRMT family in normal cellular function and disease pathophysiology, with a focus on their association with the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME), and discusses their broad impact on various physiological processes and pathological conditions.