title: TETonic shift: biological roles of TET proteins in DNA demethylation and transcription.
abstract: In many organisms, the methylation of cytosine in DNA has a key role in silencing 'parasitic' DNA elements, regulating transcription and establishing cellular identity. The recent discovery that ten-eleven translocation (TET) proteins are 5-methylcytosine oxidases has provided several chemically plausible pathways for the reversal of DNA methylation, thus triggering a paradigm shift in our understanding of how changes in DNA methylation are coupled to cell differentiation, embryonic development and cancer.
authors.affiliation: Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine and La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology, 9420 Athena Circle, La Jolla, California 92037, USA. wpastor@ucla.edu
authors.forename: William A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Pastor
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Aravind
authors.forename: Anjana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D019175:DNA Methylation; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D047108:Embryonic Development; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins