TET-mediated 5-methylcytosine oxidation in tRNA promotes translation.

ABSTRACT: Oxidation of 5-methylcytosine (5mC) in DNA by the ten-eleven translocation (TET) family of enzymes is indispensable for gene regulation in mammals. More recently, evidence has emerged to support a biological function for TET-mediated m⁵C oxidation in messenger RNA. Here, we describe a previously uncharacterized role of TET-mediated m⁵C oxidation in transfer RNA (tRNA). We found that the TET-mediated oxidation product 5-hydroxylmethylcytosine (hm⁵C) is specifically enriched in tRNA inside cells and that the oxidation activity of TET2 on m⁵C in tRNAs can be readily observed in vitro. We further observed that hm⁵C levels in tRNA were significantly decreased in Tet2 KO mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) in comparison with wild-type mESCs.

SUBMITTER: Shen H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7949041 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jan-Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature