A convenient method for selective detection of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine and 5-formylcytosine sites in DNA sequences.

Treatment of DNA containing 5-formylcytosine with hot piperidine produced a cleaved band at the position of 5-formylcytosine in DNA sequences. After oxidation with KRuO4, 5-hydroxymethylcytosine could also be detected using the same method. Using our strategy, we could detect 5-hydroxymethylcytosine and 5-formylcytosine respectively.