5-Hydroxymethylcytosine-selective oxidation with peroxotungstate

Tungsten oxidation worked as a simple chemical reaction for the effective detection of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine in DNA, distinguishing it from its epigenetic precursors, 5-methylcytosine and unmethylated cytosine. The tungsten-oxidation product obtained from 5-hydroxymethylcytosine was trihydroxylated thymine and was detected as a cleavage band in gel electrophoresis after treatment with hot piperidine.