Rabbit Monoclonal Antibody to MCM4

The protein encoded by this gene is one of the highly conserved mini~chromosome maintenance proteins (MCM) that are essential for 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. The MCM complex consisting of this protein and MCM2, 6 and 7 proteins possesses DNA helicase activity, and may act as a DNA unwinding enzyme. The phosphorylation of this protein by CDC2 kinase reduces the DNA helicase activity and chromatin binding of the MCM complex. This gene is mapped to a region on the chromosome 8 head~to~head next to the PRKDC/DNA~PK, a DNA~activated protein kinase involved in the repair of DNA double~strand breaks. Alternatively spliced transcript variants encoding the same protein have been reported. [provided by RefSeq, Jul 2008]