背景资料：ALKBH8 (alkylated DNA repair protein AlkB homolog 8) is a 664 amino acid protein that is encoded by a gene located on chromosome 11. ALKBH8 contains one RRM (RNA recognition motif) domain and belongs to the AlkB family of proteins. ALKBH8 is one of many homologs of the Escherichia coli protein AlkB. AlkB functions to protect DNA and RNA against damage from environmental methylating compounds by directly reversing 1-methyladenine (1-meA) and 3-methylcytosine (3-meC) cytotoxic alkylation lesions in DNA and RNA. The enzyme acts by oxidative demethylation, utilizing ferrous iron and alpha-ketoglutarate as cofactors, 2-oxoglutarate as a co-substrate and molecular oxygen as the oxidizing agent. Three isoforms exist for ALKBH8 due alternative splicing of the gene.