Dysregulation of DNA replication licensing factors in cancer

Licensing of DNA replication is essential for the accurate duplication of the genome and for ensuring that replication occurs only once per cell cycle, thus ensuring genomic stability. This process is controlled by the pre-replicative complex (pre-RC), comprising ORC, CDT1, CDC6, MCMs and Geminin. Dysregulation of any of these components can lead to aberrant DNA replication, induce genomic instability and drive tumor initiation and progression. In this review, we examine recent advances in the field and emerging mechanistic insights into the role of pre-RC dysregulation in cancer.