An epigenetic cytosine DNA demethylation pathway that involves a DNA glycosylase that directly excises 5-methylcytosine (5-meC) to initiate its replacement with unmethylated cytosine through base excision repair. This pathway is known to occur in plants. In addition to CG sites, plants also methylate cytosines within CHH and CNG sequences.
epigenetic 5-methylcytosine DNA demethylation, direct 5-methylcytosine excision pathway