Topic: active DNA demethylation

Distinct patterns of DNA methylation (mC) and hydroxymethylation (hmC) are identified in the neuronal epigenome, and the dynamic regulation of mC/hmC is associated with various hippocampus-dependent memory processes. hmC, an oxidized form of mC, acts as an essential intermediate in the active DNA demethylation pathway. The further oxidized hmC derivatives are eventually removed by the thymine DNA glycosylase (TDG) initiated base excision repair (BER). Constitutive knockout or catalytic inactivation of TDG leads to embryonic lethality in mice, demonstrating an essential role of TDG in the epige