Figure 2. 5hmC is abundant in embryonal and adult tissues, with differential abundance in basal vs. luminal cell compartments of stratified epithelia.

Micrographs show 5hmC staining in the intestine (A) and skin (B) of a 17 day old mouse embryo. Note the reduced staining of 5hmC staining in the basal cell compartment (indicated by arrowheads) compared to the luminal/apical epithelial cells (indicated by arrows). (C) Normal human adult colonic mucosa exhibits strong staining for 5hmC in apical epithelial cells (indicated by arrows); epithelial cells in the base of the crypt (indicated by arrowheads) show greatly reduced staining intensities. Note the strong 5hmC staining of associated stromal nuclei. (D) Hierarchical distribution of 5hmC staining in murine cervix. Asterisk (*) indicates apical/luminal surface.