This gene encodes a member of the protein arginine N-methyltransferase (PRMT) family. Post-translational modification of target proteins by PRMTs plays an important regulatory role in many biological processes, whereby PRMTs methylate arginine residues by transferring methyl groups from S-adenosyl-L-methionine to terminal guanidino nitrogen atoms. The encoded protein is a type I PRMT and is responsible for the majority of cellular arginine methylation activity. Increased expression of this gene may play a role in many types of cancer. Alternatively spliced transcript variants encoding multiple isoforms have been observed for this gene, and a pseudogene of this gene is located on the long arm of chromosome 5. [provided by RefSeq, Dec 2011]
