title: Clamping down on clamps and clamp loaders--the eukaryotic replication factor C.
abstract: DNA transactions such as DNA replication and DNA repair require the concerted action of many enzymes, together with other proteins and non-protein cofactors. Among them three main accessory proteins, replication factor C (RF-C), proliferating-cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and replication protein A (RP-A), are essential for accurate and processive DNA synthesis by DNA polymerases. RF-C is a complex consisting of five polypeptides with distinct functions. RF-C can bind to a template-primer junction and, in the presence of ATP, load the PCNA clamp onto DNA, thereby recruiting DNA polymerases to the site of DNA synthesis. RF-C not only acts as a clamp loader in DNA replication and DNA repair, but there is some evidence that it could be involved in several other processes such as transcription, S-phase checkpoint regulation, apoptosis, differentiation and telomere-length regulation.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Veterinary Biochemistry, University of Zürich-Irchel, Zürich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mossi
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Hübscher
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D004247:DNA / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004258:DNA Polymerase III / Q000378:metabolism; D004260:DNA Repair / Q000502:physiology; D004261:DNA Replication / Q000502:physiology*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005057:Eukaryotic Cells; D005800:Genes, Fungal; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D006801:Humans; D015778:Minor Histocompatibility Antigens; D008954:Models, Biological; D011387:Prokaryotic Cells; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D011487:Protein Conformation; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D051716:Replication Protein A; D051818:Replication Protein C; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins
chemical_list: C096816:BCL2-related protein A1; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; C096063:MATA1 protein, S cerevisiae; D015778:Minor Histocompatibility Antigens; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; C497167:RPA1 protein, human; D051716:Replication Protein A; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D004247:DNA; D004258:DNA Polymerase III; D051818:Replication Protein C