title: The MCM complex: (just) a replicative helicase?
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, South Kensington, London SW7 2AZ, U.K.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Onesti
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000957:Antigens, Viral, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D004265:DNA Helicases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D004261:DNA Replication; D004278:DNA, Superhelical / Q000378:metabolism; D008666:Metalloendopeptidases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D009691:Nucleic Acid Denaturation
chemical_list: D000957:Antigens, Viral, Tumor; D004278:DNA, Superhelical; D008666:Metalloendopeptidases; C114583:m-AAA proteases; D004265:DNA Helicases