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Structural and mechanistic insights into Mcm2-7 double-hexamer assembly and function

Journal Article · · Genes & Development
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [4];  [5];  [6];  [3]
  1. Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
  2. Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Stony Brook Univ., Stony Brook, NY (United States)
  3. Imperial College Faculty of Medicine, London (United Kingdom). DNA Replication Group
  4. Imperial College Faculty of Medicine, London (United Kingdom). MRC Clinical Sciences Centre
  5. Stony Brook Univ., Stony Brook, NY (United States)
  6. Cold Spring Harbor Lab., NY (United States)

Eukaryotic cells license each DNA replication origin during G1 phase by assembling a prereplication complex that contains a Mcm2–7 (minichromosome maintenance proteins 2–7) double hexamer. During S phase, each Mcm2–7 hexamer forms the core of a replicative DNA helicase. However, the mechanisms of origin licensing and helicase activation are poorly understood. The helicase loaders ORC–Cdc6 function to recruit a single Cdt1–Mcm2–7 heptamer to replication origins prior to Cdt1 release and ORC–Cdc6–Mcm2–7 complex formation, but how the second Mcm2–7 hexamer is recruited to promote double-hexamer formation is not well understood. Here, structural evidence for intermediates consisting of an ORC–Cdc6–Mcm2–7 complex and an ORC–Cdc6–Mcm2–7–Mcm2–7 complex are reported, which together provide new insights into DNA licensing. Detailed structural analysis of the loaded Mcm2–7 double-hexamer complex demonstrates that the two hexamers are interlocked and misaligned along the DNA axis and lack ATP hydrolysis activity that is essential for DNA helicase activity. Moreover, we show that the head-to-head juxtaposition of the Mcm2–7 double hexamer generates a new protein interaction surface that creates a multisubunit-binding site for an S-phase protein kinase that is known to activate DNA replication. The data suggest how the double hexamer is assembled and how helicase activity is regulated during DNA licensing, with implications for cell cycle control of DNA replication and genome stability.

Research Organization:
Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
National Institutes of Health
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-98CH10886
OSTI ID:
1165733
Report Number(s):
BNL--107184-2014-JA; 400412000
Journal Information:
Genes & Development, Journal Name: Genes & Development Journal Issue: 20 Vol. 28; ISSN 0890-9369
Publisher:
Cold Springs Harbor PressCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Cited By (18)

Replication landscape of the human genome journal January 2016
Structural basis of Mcm2–7 replicative helicase loading by ORC–Cdc6 and Cdt1 journal February 2017
DNA translocation mechanism of the MCM complex and implications for replication initiation journal July 2019
Cryo-EM structure of Mcm2-7 double hexamer on DNA suggests a lagging-strand DNA extrusion model journal October 2017
Recruitment of Mcm10 to Sites of Replication Initiation Requires Direct Binding to the Minichromosome Maintenance (MCM) Complex journal March 2016
The eukaryotic CMG helicase pumpjack and integration into the replisome journal March 2016
Eukaryotic replication origins: Strength in flexibility journal May 2016
How MCM loading and spreading specify eukaryotic DNA replication initiation sites journal August 2016
Utilizing Biotinylated Proteins Expressed in Yeast to Visualize DNA–Protein Interactions at the Single-Molecule Level journal October 2017
Emerging Roles for Ciz1 in Cell Cycle Regulation and as a Driver of Tumorigenesis journal December 2016
Shining a Spotlight on DNA: Single-Molecule Methods to Visualise DNA journal January 2019
Structure of the active form of human origin recognition complex and its ATPase motor module journal January 2017
Overexpression of minichromosome maintenance protein 10 in medulloblastoma and its clinical implications journal June 2017
The Temporal Regulation of S Phase Proteins During G1 book January 2017
The architecture of a eukaryotic replisome journal November 2015
From structure to mechanism—understanding initiation of DNA replication journal June 2017
Human RIF 1 and protein phosphatase 1 stimulate DNA replication origin licensing but suppress origin activation journal January 2017
Chromosome Duplication in Saccharomyces cerevisiae journal July 2016

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