The pursuit of DNA demethylation has a colorful history, but it was not until 2009 that the stars of this story, the Ten-eleven-translocation (Tet) family of proteins, were really identified. Tet proteins convert 5-methylcytosine to 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC), which can be further oxidized to 5-formylcytosine and 5-cyboxycytosine by Tet proteins to achieve DNA demethylation. Recent studies have revealed that 5hmC-mediated DNA demethylation can play essential roles in diverse biological processes, including development and diseases. Here, we review recent discoveries in 5hmC-mediated DNA demethylation in the context of stem cells and development.
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