INAUGURAL ARTICLE by a Recently Elected Academy Member:Lineage-specific expansions of TET/JBP genes and a new class of DNA transposons shape fungal genomic and epigenetic landscapes

5-Methylcytosine in DNA of eukaryotes, such as humans, is an important epigenetic mark. The recently characterized TET/JBP enzymes generate oxidized derivatives of methylcytosine, such as hydroxy-, formyl-, and carboxymethylcytosine in mammals, which serve as further epigenetic marks or intermediates for demethylation. Unlike animals, which contain one to three TET genes, fungi, such as mushrooms and rusts, display lineage-specific expansions with numerous TET/JBP genes, which are often associated with a unique class of transposable elements. We present evidence that expansion and turnover of these elements and associated TET/JBP genes play important roles in genomic organization, epigenetics, and speciation of fungal lineages, especially basidiomycetes (mushrooms, rusts, and smuts). Domesticated versions of these transposons might also participate in genome rearrangements or repair in humans.