DNA replication: a complex matter

In eukaryotic cells, the essential function of DNA replication is carried out by a network of enzymes and proteins, which work together to rapidly and accurately duplicate the genetic information of the cell. Many of the components of this DNA replication apparatus associate with other cellular factors as components of multiprotein complexes, which act cooperatively in networks to regulate cell cycle progression and checkpoint control, but are distinct from the pre-replication complexes that associate with the origins and regulate their firing. In this review, we summarize current knowledge about the composition and dynamics of these large multiprotein complexes in mammalian cells and their relationships to the replication factories.