S-adenosyl homocysteine hydrolase is required for Myc-induced mRNA cap methylation, protein synthesis, and cell proliferation.

The c-Myc proto-oncogene promotes mRNA cap methylation, which is essential for almost all mRNA translation. The mRNA cap methylation reaction produces an inhibitory byproduct, S-adenosyl homocysteine. Here we report that Myc promotes upregulation of S-adenosyl homocysteine hydrolase (SAHH), an enzyme which hydrolyzes S-adenosyl homocysteine, thus neutralizing its inhibitory effects, and this is required for c-Myc-induced mRNA cap methylation. c-Myc-induced mRNA cap methylation was repressed by inhibiting the expression or activity of SAHH, whereas the same treatments did not have a significant effect on c-Myc-induced transcription or other c-Myc-dependent methylation events. The selective inhibition of mRNA cap methylation afforded by SAHH repression revealed that c-Myc-induced cap methylation could be correlated with the core c-Myc functions of protein synthesis, cell proliferation, and cell transformation.