Quantity and quality of minichromosome maintenance protein complexes couple replication licensing to genome integrity

• Published in: Communications biology Vol. 7; no. 1; p. 167
• Main Authors: Yadav, Anoop Kumar, Polasek-Sedlackova, Hana
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Nature Publishing Group 09.02.2024; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: Biology; Cancer therapies; Cell cycle; Cell division; Cyclin-dependent kinases; DNA biosynthesis; DNA damage; DNA Replication; Epigenetics; Genomes; Genomic instability; Humans; Kinases; Licenses; Licensing; Minichromosome Maintenance Proteins - genetics; Minichromosome Maintenance Proteins - metabolism; Neoplasms - genetics; Phosphorylation; Proteins; Replication initiation; Replication origins
• ISSN: 2399-3642; 2399-3642
• DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-05855-w

Accurate and complete replication of genetic information is a fundamental process of every cell division. The replication licensing is the first essential step that lays the foundation for error-free genome duplication. During licensing, minichromosome maintenance protein complexes, the molecular motors of DNA replication, are loaded to genomic sites called replication origins. The correct quantity and functioning of licensed origins are necessary to prevent genome instability associated with severe diseases, including cancer. Here, we delve into recent discoveries that shed light on the novel functions of licensed origins, the pathways necessary for their proper maintenance, and their implications for cancer therapies.