From structure to mechanism—understanding initiation of DNA replication

  1. Christian Speck1,2
  1. 1DNA Replication Group, Institute of Clinical Sciences (ICS), Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London W12 0NN, United Kingdom;
  2. 2Medical Research Council (MRC) London Institute of Medical Sciences (LMS), London W12 0NN, United Kingdom
  1. Corresponding author: chris.speck{at}imperial.ac.uk
  1. 3 These authors contributed equally to this work.

Abstract

DNA replication results in the doubling of the genome prior to cell division. This process requires the assembly of 50 or more protein factors into a replication fork. Here, we review recent structural and biochemical insights that start to explain how specific proteins recognize DNA replication origins, load the replicative helicase on DNA, unwind DNA, synthesize new DNA strands, and reassemble chromatin. We focus on the minichromosome maintenance (MCM2–7) proteins, which form the core of the eukaryotic replication fork, as this complex undergoes major structural rearrangements in order to engage with DNA, regulate its DNA-unwinding activity, and maintain genome stability.

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Footnotes

This article, published in Genes & Development, is available under a Creative Commons License (Attribution 4.0 International), as described at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.

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