title: Unwinding to recombine.
abstract: The MCM proteins are best known for their role in DNA replication, MCM2-7 forming the replicative helicase. Now, two reports in this issue of Molecular Cell, Nishimura et al. (2012) and Lutzmann et al. (2012) show the less well understood MCM8 and MCM9 to be crucial for effective homologous recombination.
authors.affiliation: MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Hills Road, Cambridge, CB2 0QH, UK.
authors.forename: Guillaume
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Guilbaud
authors.forename: Julian E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Sale