DNA replication, development, pluripotency and cancer share common regulatory nodes.
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Several pre-replicative machinery proteins have developmental roles.
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Deregulated expression of pre-RC members can induce carcinogenesis.
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Pluripotency-associated transcription factors influence DNA replication.
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Overexpression of pluripotency-associated transcription factors is linked to cancer.
Abstract
Recent findings provide evidence for a functional interplay between DNA replication and the seemingly distinct areas of cancer, development and pluripotency. Protein complexes participating in DNA replication origin licensing are now known to have roles in development, while their deregulation can lead to cancer. Moreover, transcription factors implicated in the maintenance of or reversal to the pluripotent state have links to the pre-replicative machinery. Several studies have shown that overexpression of these factors is associated to cancer.
