AMI-1 is an effective and selective Histone Methyltransferase (HMT) inhibitor (IC50: 3.0/8.8 μM, for yeast Hmt1p, and human PRMT1).

In HeLa cells, AMI-1 inhibits methylation levels of GFP-Npl3 fusion and endogenous PRMT1-like activity. AMI-1 also inhibits nuclear receptor-mediated transactivation of a luciferase reporter in MCF7 cells. [1] In addition, AMI-1 inhibits HIV-1 RT polymerase activity with IC50 of 5 μM and inhibits DNA binding to HIV-1 RT with Kd of 2 μM. [2] In INS-1 cells, AMI-1 improves INS-1 cell function and mediates translocations of FOXO1 and PDX-1 intracellularly by regulating FOXO1 phosphorylation and methylation. [4]

In chronic AIPI rats, AMI-1 (5 μg/rat) ameliorates COX2 expression and asthmatic indexes, and decreases the airway and alveoli lesions, mucus secretion, and collagen deposition in lungs. [3]

INS-1 832/13 cells are suspended in RPMI medium containing 11 mM glucose and the supplements described above. These cells are seeded at a density of 2×104?cells/well in a 96-well black plate coated with poly-D-lysine, and 1% BSA and 0.1% DMSO alone (control), palmitic acid (62.5, 125, 250, 500, and 1000 μM), oleic acid (62.5, 125, 250, 500, and 1000 μM), or TAK-875 (6.25, 12.5, 25, 50, and 100 μM) is added to the plate with 1% BSA and 0.1% DMSO, followed by culture for 72 h. After the culture, caspase 3/7 activity is measured with the Apo-one homogeneous caspase 3/7 assay according to the manufacturer's instructions. Fluorescence intensity is measured at an excitation of 485 nm and an emission at 535 nm.