Cdc45-MCM-GINS, a new power player for DNA replication

doi:10.1186/1747-1028-1-18

Cell Division

Volume 1

Viewing options:

Abstract
Full text
PDF (519KB)

Associated material:

Related literature:

Articles citing this article
on BioMed Central
on Google Scholar
on PubMed Central
Other articles by authors
on Google Scholar

Aparicio T
Ibarra A
Méndez J

on PubMed

Aparicio T
Ibarra A
Méndez J
Related articles/pages
on Google

on Google Scholar

on PubMed

Tools:

Post to:

Commentaries

Cdc45-MCM-GINS, a new power player for DNA replication

Tomás Aparicio , Arkaitz Ibarra and Juan Méndez

DNA replication Group, Molecular Oncology Programme, Spanish National Cancer Center (CNIO), Melchor Fernandez Almagro 3, E-28029 Madrid, Spain

author email corresponding author email

Cell Division 2006, 1:18doi:10.1186/1747-1028-1-18


Published:	24 August 2006

Abstract

The identity of the DNA helicase(s) involved in eukaryotic DNA replication is still a matter of debate, but the mini-chromosome maintenance (MCM) proteins are the chief candidate. Six conserved MCM proteins, Mcm2–7, are essential for the initiation and elongation stages of DNA replication, contain ATP binding pockets and can form a hexameric structure resembling that of known prokaryotic and viral helicases. However, biochemical proof of their presumed function has remained elusive. Several recent reports confirm that the MCM complex is part of the cellular machine responsible for the unwinding of DNA during S phase. In one of these reports, the helicase activity of Mcm2–7 is finally revealed, when they are purified in association with two partners: initiation factor Cdc45 and a four-subunit complex called GINS. The Cdc45-MCM-GINS complex could constitute the core of a larger macromolecular structure that has been termed the "replisome progression complex".