Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology Commons^™

Regulation Of Eukaryotic Mcm2-7 Activity, Lance F. Dasilva

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The transfer of genetic material from one cell generation to the next requires precise genome duplication. Aberrant DNA replication can lead to genomic instability and contribute to diseases arising from an unregulated cell cycle, such as cancer. Replicative DNA polymerases require a single-stranded (ssDNA) template from which to produce newly synthesized DNA. In eukaryotes, ssDNA is generated by the heterohexameric minichromosome maintenance 2 through 7 (Mcm2-7) replicative helicase that unwinds duplex DNA. Strict temporal separation of helicase loading and activation at multiple replication origins ensures once per cell cycle replication. The processes involved in activating Mcm2-7 to unwind DNA during …