The mini-chromosome maintenance (MCM) family of proteins, including MCM2, MCM3, MCM4 (Cdc21), MCM5 (Cdc46), MCM6 (Mis5) and MCM7 (Cdc47), are regulators of DNA replication that act to ensure replication occurs only once in the cell cycle. Expression of MCM proteins increases during cell growth, peaking at G1 to S phase. The MCM proteins each contain an ATP-binding motif, which is predicted to mediate ATP-dependent opening of double-stranded DNA. MCM proteins are regulated by E2F transcription factors, which induce MCM expression, and by protein kinases, which interact with MCM proteins to maintain the postreplicative state of the cell. MCM2/MCM4 complexes function as substrates for Cdc2/cyclin B in vitro. Cleavage of MCM3, which can be prevented by caspase inhibitors, results in the inactivation during apoptosis of the MCM complex, which is composed of, at least, MCM2C6.
