The regulated loading of the Mcm2-7 DNA helicase into pre-replicative complexes (pre-RCs) at multiple replication origins ensures precise once per cell cycle replication in eukaryotic cells. Origin Recognition Complex (ORC), Cdc6 and Cdt1 load Mcm2-7 into a double hexamer bound around duplex DNA in an ATP-dependent reaction, but the molecular mechanism of this origin ‘licensing’ is still poorly understood. Here we show that both Mcm2-7 hexamers are recruited to origins by an essential, conserved C-terminal domain of Mcm3 which interacts with and stimulates the ATPase activity of ORC•Cdc6. ATP hydrolysis can promote Mcm2-7 loading, but can also promote Mcm2-7 release if components are missing or if ORC has been inactivated by cyclin-dependent kinase phosphorylation. Our work provides new insights into how origins are licensed and reveals a novel ATPase-dependent mechanism contributing to precise once per cell cycle replication.

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