A double-hexameric MCM2-7 complex is loaded onto origin DNA during licensing of eukaryotic DNA replication.

ABSTRACT: During pre-replication complex (pre-RC) formation, origin recognition complex (ORC), Cdc6, and Cdt1 cooperatively load the 6-subunit mini chromosome maintenance (MCM2-7) complex onto DNA. Loading of MCM2-7 is a prerequisite for DNA licensing that restricts DNA replication to once per cell cycle. During S phase MCM2-7 functions as part of the replicative helicase but within the pre-RC MCM2-7 is inactive. The organization of replicative DNA helicases before and after loading onto DNA has been studied in bacteria and viruses but not eukaryotes and is of major importance for understanding the MCM2-7 loading mechanism and replisome assembly. Lack of an efficient reconstituted pre-RC system has hindered the detailed mechanistic and structural analysis of MCM2-7 loading for a long time. We have r

SUBMITTER: Evrin C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2787165 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature