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

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 . 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.