Curr Opin Chem Biol 2021 08 8;63:115-122. Epub 2021 Apr 8.
Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Purdue Institute for Drug Discovery, Purdue University Center for Cancer Research, Purdue University, 720 Clinic Drive, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, United States. Electronic address:
The posttranslational methylation of the α-N-terminal amino group of proteins was first documented over 40 years ago, but the functional significance of this modification has been underexplored relative to lysine and arginine methylation. Increasing reports implicates α-N-terminal methylation as a widespread and critical regulator of mitosis, chromatin interactions, DNA repair, and translation fidelity. Here, we summarize advances in the current understanding of protein α-N-terminal methylation biological functions and mechanisms across eukaryotic organisms. Read More