The effect of PRMT1-mediated arginine methylation on the subcellular localization, stress granules, and detergent-insoluble aggregates of FUS/TLS

PLoS One. 2012;7(11):e49267. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0049267. Epub 2012 Nov 13.

Abstract

Fused in sarcoma/translocated in liposarcoma (FUS/TLS) is one of causative genes for familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In order to identify binding partners for FUS/TLS, we performed a yeast two-hybrid screening and found that protein arginine methyltransferase 1 (PRMT1) is one of binding partners primarily in the nucleus. In vitro and in vivo methylation assays showed that FUS/TLS could be methylated by PRMT1. The modulation of arginine methylation levels by a general methyltransferase inhibitor or conditional over-expression of PRMT1 altered slightly the nucleus-cytoplasmic ratio of FUS/TLS in cell fractionation assays. Although co-localized primarily in the nucleus in normal condition, FUS/TLS and PRMT1 were partially recruited to the cytoplasmic granules under oxidative stress, which were merged with stress granules (SGs) markers in SH-SY5Y cell. C-terminal truncated form of FUS/TLS (FUS-dC), which lacks C-terminal nuclear localization signal (NLS), formed cytoplasmic inclusions like ALS-linked FUS mutants and was partially co-localized with PRMT1. Furthermore, conditional over-expression of PRMT1 reduced the FUS-dC-mediated SGs formation and the detergent-insoluble aggregates in HEK293 cells. These findings indicate that PRMT1-mediated arginine methylation could be implicated in the nucleus-cytoplasmic shuttling of FUS/TLS and in the SGs formation and the detergent-insoluble inclusions of ALS-linked FUS/TLS mutants.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Arginine / metabolism*
  • Arsenites / toxicity
  • Brain / drug effects
  • Brain / metabolism
  • Cell Nucleus / drug effects
  • Cell Nucleus / metabolism
  • Cytoplasmic Granules / drug effects
  • Cytoplasmic Granules / metabolism*
  • Detergents
  • HEK293 Cells
  • Humans
  • Inclusion Bodies / drug effects
  • Inclusion Bodies / metabolism
  • Methylation / drug effects
  • Motor Neurons / drug effects
  • Motor Neurons / metabolism
  • Oxidative Stress / drug effects
  • Protein Binding / drug effects
  • Protein Structure, Quaternary
  • Protein Transport / drug effects
  • Protein-Arginine N-Methyltransferases / metabolism*
  • RNA-Binding Protein FUS / chemistry*
  • RNA-Binding Protein FUS / metabolism*
  • Repressor Proteins / metabolism*
  • Solubility
  • Spinal Cord / drug effects
  • Spinal Cord / metabolism
  • Subcellular Fractions / drug effects
  • Subcellular Fractions / metabolism

Substances

  • Arsenites
  • Detergents
  • RNA-Binding Protein FUS
  • Repressor Proteins
  • Arginine
  • PRMT1 protein, human
  • Prmt1 protein, mouse
  • Protein-Arginine N-Methyltransferases
  • arsenite

Grants and funding

This work was supported by research grants from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.