Protein arginine methyltransferase 1 promoted the growth and migration of cancer cells in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Dysregulation of protein arginine methyltransferase 1 (PRMT1) has been reported in several cancer types. However, its expression pattern and biological functions in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remained unknown. Here, we have found that the expression of PRMT1 was up-regulated in ESCC samples. In the biological function studies, forced expression of PRMT1 promoted the growth and migration of ESCC cells. However, knocking down the expression of PRMT1 inhibited the growth, migration, and metastasis of ESCC cells. Moreover, PRMT1 activated Hedgehog signaling and up-regulated the expression of target genes downstream of Hedgehog signaling. Taken together, our study revealed the oncogenic roles of PRMT1 in the progression of ESCC, and PRMT1 might be a promising therapeutic target for the treatment of ESCC.