(Medical Xpress)—A few years ago, scientists discovered an unexpected layer of information woven into the genetic code – a nucleotide called 5-hydroxymethylcytosine, or 5hmC. Its meaning was unknown at the time, but a new analysis suggests that a regulatory protein called MeCP2, known for its involvement in the nervous system disorder Rett Syndrome, recognizes 5hmC in the brain and facilitates activation of the genes in which it is most abundant.
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