Characterization of a 5-formylcytosine chromocenter in Xenopus embryos

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DNA methylation is an epigenetic mark, which plays important roles in development and disease. It is now widely accepted that DNA methylation is dynamic and is subject to enzymatic demethylation. The Tet family of methylcytosine dioxygenases convert 5-methylcytosine to oxidized derivatives, which are intermediates towards active DNA demethylation, but which may also function as epigenetic marks in their own right. However, little is known about the function of oxidized cytosine derivatives as epigenetic marks and as to their role in vertebrate development. We have discovered that early Xenopus embryos display single nuclear foci of 5-formylcytosine (5fC) during the midblastula transition. We have evidence that these 5fC chromocenters are made up of repetitive DNA sequences residing on different chromosomes, which coalesce during interface. We now propose to characterize the nature, the function, and a possible biological role of this 5fC chromocenter in Xenopus development.