The MCM2–MCM7 (minichromosome maintenance 2–7) complex is involved both in the initiation and the elongation step of eukaryotic DNA replication and is believed to be the replicative helicase. Whereas the mechanism of DNA unwinding at the replication fork has been extensively investigated, the role of the MCM2–MCM7 complex during initiation has not yet been characterized by biochemical studies. Here we summarize the in vivo evidence which supports a role for the MCM complex in origin melting. In addition, we present an overview of the mechanism of action of a number of AAA+ (ATPase associated with various cellular activities) initiators and hexameric helicases, which can be used in turn as models for the steps of recognition, duplex melting, loading and nucleic acid translocation of the MCM helicase.
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February 2008
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Conference Article|
January 22 2008
The MCM complex: (just) a replicative helicase?
Alessandro Costa;
Alessandro Costa
1Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, South Kensington, London SW7 2AZ, U.K.
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Silvia Onesti
Silvia Onesti
1
1Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, South Kensington, London SW7 2AZ, U.K.
1To whom correspondence should be addressed (email s.onesti@imperial.ac.uk).
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Publisher: Portland Press Ltd
Received:
October 29 2007
Online ISSN: 1470-8752
Print ISSN: 0300-5127
© The Authors Journal compilation © 2008 Biochemical Society
2008
Biochem Soc Trans (2008) 36 (1): 136–140.
Article history
Received:
October 29 2007
Citation
Alessandro Costa, Silvia Onesti; The MCM complex: (just) a replicative helicase?. Biochem Soc Trans 1 February 2008; 36 (1): 136–140. doi: https://doi.org/10.1042/BST0360136
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