ABSTRACT
Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 265 Cell Cycle ................................................................................................................................... 266 Origin of Replication ................................................................................................................. 266 Initiator Proteins ........................................................................................................................ 268
Structure of the Cdc6 Proteins ....................................................................................... 269 Biochemical Properties of the Cdc6 Proteins ................................................................. 269
Helicase ...................................................................................................................................... 270 MCM Structure ............................................................................................................... 270 Biochemical Properties of MCM .................................................................................... 271
Mechanism of Helicase Assembly at the Origin ....................................................................... 272 DNA Replication and Chromatin .............................................................................................. 274 Concluding Remarks .................................................................................................................. 274 Acknowledgments ...................................................................................................................... 274 References .................................................................................................................................. 275
Since the sequencing of the fi rst archaeal genome a decade ago, much attention has been focused on the study of the mechanism of DNA replication of these unique microorganisms. These studies revealed that although many of the archaeal DNA replication proteins are more similar to those of eukarya than bacteria, they are not simply “mini eukarya” but are rather a mosaic of the eukaryal and bacterial systems, with archaeal-specifi c features. Here our current understanding of the process of initiation of DNA replication and its interplay with chromatin and the cell cycle is summarized.
