CARM1
CARM1 (coactivator associated arginine methyltransferase 1, also known as PRMT4) is a histone-arginine methyltransferase that mono- and asymmetrically dimethylates arginyl residues in chromatin-associated proteins. It acts as a transcriptional coactivator and regulates gene expression, splicing and mRNA stability. Browse Assay Genie's current range of CARM1 research reagents below, or read on for the biology behind the target.
CARM1 methylates the guanidino nitrogens of arginyl residues, producing mono- and asymmetric dimethylarginine on proteins involved in DNA packaging, transcription regulation, pre-mRNA splicing and mRNA stability. It is recruited to promoters on gene activation together with histone acetyltransferases of the EP300/P300 and p160 families, where it methylates histone H3 at Arg-17 (mainly forming H3R17me2a) and promotes transcription through chromatin remodelling.
Its coactivator roles are broad. CARM1 acts with EP300/P300 and NCOA1/SRC1, NCOA2/GRIP1 or NCOA3/ACTR during nuclear hormone receptor and TCF7L2/TCF4 activation, with NCOA3/ACTR for MEF2C during myogenic activation, and with EP300/P300 for NF-kappa-B during monocyte inflammatory stimulation. It also coactivates PPARG, promoting adipocyte differentiation and brown fat accumulation, and appears to contribute to p53/TP53 transcriptional activation. At the ACACA promoter it enriches H3R17 methylation, positively regulating fatty acid synthesis. CARM1 also methylates EP300/P300 itself, including in the KIX domain, which impairs its interaction with CREB, and methylates the RNA-binding proteins PABPC1, ELAVL1 and ELAV4, which may affect the half-life of their target mRNAs. Independently of its catalytic activity, it promotes PARP1 recruitment to replication forks and reduces fork speed.
The CARM1 gene encodes a member of the protein arginine methyltransferase (PRMT) family, a class I-like SAM-binding methyltransferase superfamily member, and the protein is also called PRMT4. The enzyme may act within multi-protein complexes and may contribute to cell type-specific functions and cell lineage specification. A related pseudogene is located on chromosome 9. Mouse and rat orthologs are both designated Carm1.
CARM1 deposits H3R17 methylation at activated promoters, making it a key enzyme for studying arginine methylation and chromatin remodelling in transcription.
It cooperates with EP300/P300, p160 family members and factors such as NF-kappa-B, MEF2C and PPARG to drive gene activation.
CARM1 methylates splicing factors and mRNA-stabilising proteins such as PABPC1 and ELAVL1, linking arginine methylation to alternative splicing and mRNA half-life.
Its coactivation of PPARG and ACACA connects CARM1 to adipocyte differentiation, brown fat accumulation and fatty acid synthesis.
CARM1 is a protein arginine methyltransferase that mono- and asymmetrically dimethylates arginine residues, notably histone H3 at Arg-17. It acts as a coactivator with EP300/P300 and p160 family proteins, and also methylates splicing and RNA-binding factors. It has a methylation-independent role at replication forks.
Yes. PRMT4 is an alias of CARM1, whose full name is coactivator associated arginine methyltransferase 1. The protein is classed in the protein arginine N-methyltransferase family and carries the enzyme classification EC 2.1.1.319. Searching under either name should retrieve the same target.
Mouse and rat both have a Carm1 ortholog. The human gene belongs to the PRMT family, and a related pseudogene is found on chromosome 9. Check the datasheet of any product for its validated reactivity.
Coactivators, nuclear receptors, RNA-binding proteins and other chromatin regulators linked to CARM1 function.
Gene and protein annotations from HGNC, NCBI Gene and UniProt Q86X55; product specifications from Assay Genie datasheets.