Ten-eleven translocation proteins and their role beyond DNA demethylation – what we can learn from the fly

ABSTRACT

Ten-eleven Translocation (TET) proteins have emerged as a family of epigenetic regulators that are important during development and have been implicated in various types of cancers. TET is a highly conserved protein that has orthologues in almost all multicellular organisms. Here, we review recent literature on the novel substrate specificity of this family of DNA 5-methylcytosine demethylases on DNA 6-methyladenine and RNA 5-methylcytosine that were first identified in the invertebrate model Drosophila. We focus on the biological role of these novel epigenetic marks in the fruit fly and mammals and highlight TET proteins’ critical function during development specifically in brain development.

KEYWORDS:

• Drosophila
• epigenetics
• DNA demethylation
• neuroscience
• cancer biology

Acknowledgments

We thank Elias A. Rahal for critical reading of the review.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work is funded by Medical Practice Plan (MPP) at the American University of Beirut. JI and AA are recipients of CNRS Conseil National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)award.