Selective oxidation of 5-methylcytosine by TET-family proteins

1. A method for distinguishing by glycosylation 5-hydroxymethylcytosine from 5-methylcytosine in a mammalian nucleic acid sequence, said method comprising:

(a) contacting said mammalian nucleic acid sequence with an enzyme that utilizes a labeled glucose or a labeled glucose-derivative donor substrate to add a labeled glucose molecule or a labeled glucose-derivative to a 5-hydroxymethylcytosine to generate a labeled glucosylated-5-hydroxymethylcytosine,

wherein the enzyme is a beta-glucosyltransferase and

wherein the labeled glucose or the labeled glucose-derivative donor substrate comprises a uridine diphosphate glucose (UDPG); and

(b) distinguishing by glycosylation the 5-hydroxymethylcytosine from the 5-methylcytosine by detecting the labeled glucose molecule or the labeled glucose-derivative.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said labeled glucose or said labeled glucose-derivative donor substrate comprises a radioactive label.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein said radioactive label comprises 14 C or 3 H.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising conducting a nucleic acid sequencing.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising treating the mammalian nucleic acid sequence with a moiety that recognizes glucose.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the moiety is a protein.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the protein is a lectin.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the protein is an antibody or a fragment thereof.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the protein is modified with a tag.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the tag comprises biotin.