Protein arginine methyltransferase expression affects ectomycorrhizal symbiosis and the regulation of hormone signaling pathways

The genomes of all eukaryotic organisms, from small unicellular yeasts to humans, include members of the protein arginine methyltransferase (PRMT) family. These enzymes affect gene transcription, cellular signaling and function through the post-translational methylation of arginine residues. Mis-regulation of PRMTs results in serious developmental defects, disease or death, illustrating the importance of these enzymes to cellular processes. Plant genomes encode almost the full complement of PRMTs found in other higher organisms, plus an additional PRMT found uniquely in plants: PRMT10. Here we investigate the role of these highly conserved PRMTs in a process that is unique to perennial plants - the development of symbiosis with ectomycorrhizal fungi. We show that PRMT expression and arginine methylation is altered in the roots of the model tree Eucalyptus grandis by the presence of its ectomycorrhizal fungal symbiont Pisolithus albus. Further, using transgenic modifications, we demonstrate that E. grandis-encoded PRMT1 and PRMT10 have important, but opposing, effects in promoting this symbiosis. In particular, the plant specific EgPRMT10 has a potential role in the expression of plant hormone pathways during the colonization process and its over-expression reduces fungal colonization success.