Abstract

In vertebrates, MCM2–7 and Cdc45 are required for DNA replication initiation, but it is unknown whether they are also required for elongation, as in yeast. Moreover, although MCM2–7 is a prime candidate for the eukaryotic replicative DNA helicase, a demonstration that MCM2–7 unwinds DNA during replication is lacking. Here, we use Xenopus egg extracts to investigate the roles of MCM7 and Cdc45 in DNA replication. A fragment of the retinoblastoma protein, Rb^1-400, was used to neutralize MCM7, and antibodies were used to neutralize Cdc45. When added immediately after origin unwinding, or after significant DNA synthesis, both inhibitors blocked further DNA replication, indicating that MCM7 and Cdc45 are required throughout replication elongation in vertebrates. We next exploited the fact that inhibition of DNA polymerase by aphidicolin causes extensive chromosome unwinding, likely due to uncoupling of the replicative DNA helicase. Strikingly, Rb^1-400 and Cdc45 antibodies both abolished unwinding by the uncoupled helicase. These results provide new support for the model that MCM2–7 is the replicative DNA helicase, and they indicate that Cdc45 functions as a helicase co-factor.