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Updated: Apr 24, 2026

The Detection of 5-Hydroxymethylcytosine in Neural Stem Cells and Brains of Mice
Published on: September 19, 2019
From development to diseases: the role of 5hmC in brain
Wenjia Sun1, Liqun Zang1, Qiang Shu2
1Institute of Genetics, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, China.
Abstract:
Epigenetic modulations play essential roles in diverse biological processes. During the past several years, DNA demethylation has been discovered in embryonic and postnatal development. Although some potential functions of DNA methylation have been demonstrated already, many questions remain in terms of unveiling the role of 5hmC; whether it serves either merely as an intermediate of DNA demethylation or as a stable epigenetic marker. 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) is proved to be not merely serving as an intermediate of DNA demethylation, but also acts as a stable epigenetic marker. This review summarizes the current knowledge of the function of 5hmC in brain with the focus on the neuronal activity, neurodevelopment, aging, and neurological diseases.
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