Arginine methylation of the c-Jun coactivator RACO-1 is required for c-Jun/AP-1 activation

EMBO J. 2013 May 29;32(11):1556-67. doi: 10.1038/emboj.2013.98. Epub 2013 Apr 26.

Abstract

c-Jun, the major component of the AP-1 transcription factor complex, has important functions in cellular proliferation and oncogenic transformation. The RING domain-containing protein RACO-1 functions as a c-Jun coactivator that molecularly links growth factor signalling to AP-1 transactivation. Here we demonstrate that RACO-1 is present as a nuclear dimer and that c-Jun specifically interacts with dimeric RACO-1. Moreover, RACO-1 is identified as a substrate of the arginine methyltransferase PRMT1, which methylates RACO-1 on two arginine residues. Arginine methylation of RACO-1 promotes a conformational change that stabilises RACO-1 by facilitating K63-linked ubiquitin chain formation, and enables RACO-1 dimerisation and c-Jun interaction. Abrogation of PRMT1 function impairs AP-1 activity and results in decreased expression of a large percentage of c-Jun target genes. These results demonstrate that arginine methylation of RACO-1 is required for efficient transcriptional activation by c-Jun/AP-1 and thus identify PRMT1 as an important regulator of c-Jun/AP-1 function.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Arginine / metabolism*
  • Cell Nucleus / metabolism
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Cell Transformation, Neoplastic
  • Dimerization
  • HEK293 Cells
  • Humans
  • Methylation
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic / genetics
  • Protein Binding
  • Protein Structure, Tertiary
  • Protein-Arginine N-Methyltransferases / metabolism*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun / metabolism*
  • Rabbits
  • Repressor Proteins / metabolism*
  • Signal Transduction
  • Trans-Activators / genetics
  • Trans-Activators / metabolism*
  • Transcription Factor AP-1 / genetics
  • Transcription Factor AP-1 / metabolism*
  • Transcriptional Activation*
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases / genetics
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases / metabolism*

Substances

  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun
  • Repressor Proteins
  • Trans-Activators
  • Transcription Factor AP-1
  • Arginine
  • PRMT1 protein, human
  • Protein-Arginine N-Methyltransferases
  • RNF187 protein, human
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases