SiRNA screening identifies METTL9 as a histidine Nπ-methyltransferase that targets the pro-inflammatory protein S100A9.
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ABSTRACT: Protein methylation is one of the most common post-translational modifications observed in basic amino acid residues, including lysine, arginine, and histidine. Histidine methylation occurs on the distal or proximal nitrogen atom of its imidazole ring, producing two isomers: Nτ- or Nπ-methylhistidine. However, the biological significance of protein histidine methylation remains largely unclear owing in part to the very limited knowledge about its contributing enzymes. Here we identified mammalian seven-β-strand methyltransferase METTL9 as a histidine Nπ-methyltransferase by siRNA screening coupled with methylhistidine analysis using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. We demonstrated that METTL9 catalyzes Nπ-methylhistidine formation in the pro-inflammatory protein S100A9, but not that of myosin light chain kinase MYLK2, in vivo and in vitro. METTL9 does not affect the heterodimer formation of S100A9 and S100A8, although Nπ-methylation of S100A9 at His-107 overlaps with a zinc-binding site, attenuating its affinity for zinc. Given that S100A9 exerts an antimicrobial activity, probably by chelation of zinc essential for the growth of bacteria and fungi, METTL9-mediated S100A9 methylation might be involved in the innate immune response to bacterial and fungal infection. Thus, our findings suggest a functional consequence for protein histidine Nπ-methylation and may add a new layer of complexity to the regulatory mechanisms of post-translational methylation.
SUBMITTER: Daitoku H
PROVIDER: S-EPMC8571522 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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