DNA demethylation in pluripotency and reprogramming: the role of tet proteins and cell division

Abstract

Cytosine methylation is found in the genomes of many plants and animals and has been associated with transcriptional silencing in mammals. At critical stages in embryo development, when cellular potential is reset, DNA methylation is lost in a series of "sequential waves." The mechanism underlying this is controversial and complex. Several new reports now suggest that TET enzymes and cell division are important for these in vivo transitions as well as for experimentally induced reprogramming.