Specialized enzymes add methyl groups to the nitrogens of the amino acid histidine, altering the chemical properties of its imidazole ring and, in turn, the function of the modified (poly)peptide. In this issue of Genes & Development, Shimazu and colleagues (pp. 724–742) make the remarkable discovery that CARNMT1 acts as a dual-specificity histidine methyltransferase, modifying both the small-molecule dipeptide carnosine and a set of proteins, predominantly within RNA-binding C3H zinc finger (C3H ZF) motifs. As a result, CARNMT1 modulates the activity of its protein targets to affect RNA processing and metabolism, ultimately contributing an essential function during mammalian development.

中文翻译：

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关注组氨酸甲基化

专门的酶将甲基添加到氨基酸组氨酸的氮上，改变其咪唑环的化学性质，进而改变修饰的（多）肽的功能。在本期《基因与发展》中，Shimazu 及其同事（第 724-742 页）做出了惊人的发现，即 CARNMT1 充当双特异性组氨酸甲基转移酶，修饰小分子二肽肌肽和一组蛋白质（主要在 RNA 内） -结合C3H锌指(C3H ZF)基序。因此，CARNMT1 调节其蛋白质靶标的活性，以影响 RNA 加工和代谢，最终在哺乳动物发育过程中发挥重要作用。