Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) imaging of DNA replication origin activation explains the role of Mcm10, a minichromosome maintenance (MCM) protein homolog, during initiation. Mcm10 acts as a wedge to split the two MCM hexamers of the activated replicative helicase. Diverging replication forks are then established, with changes in the MCM hexamers that promote the topological separation of two DNA strands.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Access Nature and 54 other Nature Portfolio journals
Get Nature+, our best-value online-access subscription
$29.99 / 30 days
cancel any time
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 12 print issues and online access
$189.00 per year
only $15.75 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
References
Attali, I., Botchan, M. R. & Berger, J. M. Structural mechanisms for replicating DNA in eukaryotes. Annu. Rev. Biochem. 90, 77–106 (2021). A review article on the structural mechanism of eukaryotic replication.
Looke, M., Maloney, M. F. & Bell, S. P. Mcm10 regulates DNA replication elongation by stimulating the CMG replicative helicase. Genes Dev. 31, 291–305 (2017). This paper reports the fork-rate stimulation function of Mcm10.
McClure, A. W., Canal, B. & Diffley, J. F. X. A DNA replication fork-centric view of the budding yeast DNA damage response. DNA Repair 119, 103393 (2022). This paper descibes fork-rate stimulation by Rad53.
Douglas, M. E., Ali, F. A., Costa, A. & Diffley, J. F. X. The mechanism of eukaryotic CMG helicase activation. Nature 555, 265–268 (2018). This paper describes the biochemical reconstitution of eukaryotic origin DNA unwinding.
Stewart, G. S. DONSON: Slding in 2 the limelight. DNA Repair 134, 103616 (2024). A review article on the role of DONSON in replication initiation.
Additional information
Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
This is a summary of: Henrikus, S. S. et al. Unwinding of a eukaryotic origin of replication visualized by cryo-EM. Nat. Struct. Mol. Biol. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41594-024-01280-z (2024).
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
How Mcm10 converts the pre-replication complex into two diverging DNA forks. Nat Struct Mol Biol (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41594-024-01333-3
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41594-024-01333-3
