The use of permanganate as a reagent for DNA sequencing by chemical degradation has been studied with respect to its specificity for 5-methylcytosine residues. At weakly acidic pH and room temperature, 0.2 mM potassium permanganate reacts preferentially with thymine, 5-methylcytosine, and to a lesser extent with purine residues, while cytosine remains essentially intact. Permanganate oxidation is, therefore, a suitable DNA sequencing reaction for positive discrimination between 5-methylcytosine and unmethylated cytosine.