Thymine DNA glycosylase (TDG) is a multifunctional protein that plays important roles in DNA repair, DNA demethylation, and transcriptional regulation. These diverse functions make TDG a unique enzyme in embryonic development and carcinogenesis. This review discusses the molecular function of TDG in human cancers and the previously unrecognized value of TDG as a potential target for drug therapy.
Keywords: DNA demethylation; DNA repair; TDG; cancer; transcription.
© The Author 2015. Published by ABBS Editorial Office in association with Oxford University Press on behalf of the Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences.