Cell identity and 5-hydroxymethylcytosine

Epigenetic factors underlie cellular identity through the regulation of transcriptional networks that establish a cell's phenotype and function. Cell conversions are directed by transcription factor binding at target DNA which induce changes to identity-specific gene regulatory programs. The degree of cell plasticity is determined by the interplay of epigenetic mechanisms to create a landscape susceptible to such binding events. 5-hydroxymethylcytosine, a key intermediate during the process of DNA demethylation, is an epigenetic modification involved in controlling these epigenetic dynamics related to cell identity. Here, the role of 5-hydroxcymethylcytosine during cell identity conversions, including its relationship with other main epigenetic mechanisms, is reviewed.