The DNA demethylase TET1 recognises chromatin via nucleosome engagement of its N-terminal region

A 2.47 angstrom cryo-EM structure shows TET1’s N-terminal region binds nucleosomes by recognizing the nucleosome acidic patch via an arginine anchor at R75.

• Why it matters: Recruitment of TET1 to its chromatin substrate is poorly understood, limiting mechanistic explanations for how this DNA demethylase engages nucleosomes during mammalian development.
• What they did: The authors mapped an N-terminal region that directly binds nucleosomes and tested chromatin association in mouse embryonic stem cells using FRAP and mitotic chromosome retention, plus biochemical and cellular validation.
• The result: This interaction is linked to stronger TET1 chromatin engagement, is absent from TET2 and TET3, and reveals a specialized, conserved nucleosome-recognition module in TET1.

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