Mini Chromosome Maintenance complex, or Minichromosome Maintenance protein complex or mini-chromosome maintenance (MCM) 2-7 helicase complex has a role in both the initiation and the elongation phases of eukaryotic DNA replication

Eukaryotic DNA replication

DNA replication in eukaryotes is much more complicated than in prokaryotes, although there are many similar aspects. Eukaryotic cells can only initiate DNA replication at a specific point in the cell cycle, the beginning of S phase.-Location in cell cycle:...

, specifically the formation and elongation of the replication fork

Replication fork

The replication fork is a structure that forms within the nucleus during DNA replication. It is created by helicases, which break the hydrogen bonds holding the two DNA strands together. The resulting structure has two branching "prongs", each one made up of a single strand of DNA...

. MCM is a component of the pre-replication complex

Pre-replication complex

A pre-replication complex is a protein complex that forms at the origin of replication during the initiation step of DNA replication. Formation of the pre-RC is required for DNA replication to occur. Complete and faithful replication of the genome ensures that each daughter cell will carry the...

, which is a component of the licensing factor

Licensing factor

A Licensing Factor is a protein or complex of proteins that allows an origin of replication to begin DNA replication at that site. They are thought to primarily occur in Eukaryotic cells, since Prokaryotes use simpler systems to initiate replication....

. MCM is a hexamer of six related polypeptides (mcm2-7) that form a ring structure.

See also

• Human genes encoding MCM proteins include:
  • MCM2
    MCM2
    DNA replication licensing factor MCM2 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the MCM2 gene.-Interactions:MCM2 has been shown to interact with Replication protein A1, AKAP8, MCM5, MCM6, MCM7, ORC1L, ORC2L, ORC4L, ORC5L, MCM4, MCM3 and Cell division cycle 7-related protein kinase.-Further reading:...
    
    
  • MCM3
    MCM3
    DNA replication licensing factor MCM3 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the MCM3 gene.-Interactions:MCM3 has been shown to interact with ORC4L, ORC5L, CDC6, MCM3AP, MCM5, MCM7, DBF4, MCM2 and CDC45-related protein.-Further reading:...
    
    
  • MCM4
    MCM4
    DNA replication licensing factor MCM4 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the MCM4 gene.-Interactions:MCM4 has been shown to interact with ORC1L, ORC2L, Replication protein A1, ORC4L, ORC5L, ORC3L, MCM6, MCM7, MCM2, Cell division cycle 7-related protein kinase and ORC6L.-Further reading:...
    
    
  • MCM5
    MCM5
    DNA replication licensing factor MCM5 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the MCM5 gene.-Interactions:MCM5 has been shown to interact with ORC2L, MCM7, STAT1, MCM2, Cell division cycle 7-related protein kinase, MCM3 and ORC6L.-Further reading:...
    
    
  • MCM6
    MCM6
    DNA replication licensing factor MCM6 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the MCM6 gene. MCM6 is one of the highly conserved mini-chromosome maintenance proteins that are essential for the initiation of eukaryotic genome replication....
    
    
  • MCM7
    MCM7
    DNA replication licensing factor MCM7 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the MCM7 gene.-Interactions:MCM7 has been shown to interact with Replication protein A1, ORC3L, Retinoblastoma protein, MCM5, MCM6, ORC1L, ORC2L, ORC5L, MCM4, MCM3, CDC6, MNAT1, DBF4, MCM2, UBE3A, CDC45-related protein...
    
    
  • MCM10
    MCM10
    Protein MCM10 homolog is a protein that in humans is encoded by the MCM10 gene.-Further reading:...