NCBI Summary:
The protein encoded by this gene is one of the highly conserved mini-chromosome maintenance proteins (MCM) that are involved in the initiation of eukaryotic genome replication. The hexameric protein complex formed by MCM proteins is a key component of the pre-replication complex (pre_RC) and may be involved in the formation of replication forks and in the recruitment of other DNA replication related proteins. This protein forms a complex with MCM4, 6, and 7, and has been shown to regulate the helicase activity of the complex. This protein is phosphorylated, and thus regulated by, protein kinases CDC2 and CDC7.
General function
Chromosome organization, Cell death/survival, DNA Replication, DNA binding
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Cellular localization
Cytoplasmic, Nuclear
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Ovarian function
Oogenesis
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Expression regulated by
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Ovarian localization
Oocyte
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Accumulation and dynamics of proteins of the MCM family during mouse oogenesis and the first embryonic cell cycle. Swiech L et al. We describe the localization of three proteins of the minichromosome maintenance (MCM) family, Mcm2, -6 and -7 in mouse ovarian oocytes. We showed that Mcm proteins are stored in two forms: soluble and insoluble. Soluble Mcm2, -6 and -7 were uniformly distributed in the nuclei of ovarian oocytes. Insoluble Mcm2 and Mcm7 (but not Mcm6) were detected in the nuclei of resting, growing and fully-grown transcribing oocytes. In transcriptionally inactive fully-grown oocytes, Mcm2 underwent redistribution and Mcm7 disappeared. A similar effect was observed when transcription in growing oocytes was inhibited with alpha-amanitin. We postulate that in mouse oogenesis, the insoluble Mcm proteins are engaged in processes related to regulation of transcription and/or chromatin organization. In oocytes preparing for meiotic maturation, aggregates of the insoluble form of Mcm2 fragmented, dispersed and ultimately disappeared from the nuclei. Numerous Mcm2-positive deposits were observed in the cytoplasm of maturing oocytes. In the one-cell embryo, insoluble Mcm2 appeared in the G1 nucleus, persisted in the S phase and was undetectable in the G2 nucleus. Such behavior of Mcm2 supports its involvement in chromatin licensing in the first embryonic cell cycle.