Mechanism of DNA unwinding by hexameric MCM8–9 in complex with HROB

The human MCM8–9 helicase functions in concert with HROB in the context of homologous recombination, but its precise function is unknown. To gain insights into how HROB regulates MCM8–9, we first used molecular modeling and biochemistry to define their interaction interface. We show that HROB makes important contacts with both MCM8 and MCM9 subunits, which directly promotes its DNA-dependent ATPase and helicase activities. MCM8–9-HROB preferentially binds and unwinds branched DNA structures, and single-molecule experiments reveal a low DNA unwinding processivity. MCM8–9 unwinds DNA as a hexameric complex that assembles from dimers on DNA in the presence of ATP, which is prerequisite for its helicase function. The hexamer formation thus involves two repeating protein-protein interfaces forming between the alternating MCM8 and MCM9 subunits. One of these interfaces is rather stable and forms an obligate heterodimer, while the other interface is labile and mediates the assembly of the hexamer on DNA, independently of HROB. The ATPase site composed of the subunits forming the labile interface disproportionally contributes to DNA unwinding. HROB does not affect the MCM8–9 ring formation, but promotes DNA unwinding downstream by possibly coordinating ATP hydrolysis with structural transitions accompanying translocation of MCM8–9 on DNA.