5-Hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) was present in T-even phage and mammalian DNA. 5hmC in phage is formed by hydroxymethylation of the cytosine base in deoxycytidylate (dCMP) by deoxycytidylate hydroxymethylase (CH), which uses the solvent water as the hydroxyl group donor. By contrast, 5hmC is formed in mammal zygotes by the oxidation of 5-methylcytosine (5mC). 5hmC was also present in a nucleoside antibiotic mildiomycin and its formation is governed by a cytidylate hydroxymethylase MilA. However, the catalytic mechanism remains unknown. In the pr...