# MCM8

Source: https://onco.cc/targets/mcm8/  
OnCo record `mcm8` (Target). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

MCM8 (DNA helicase MCM8) is an enzyme. The public catalogues list it as a DNA repair gene, and the evidence so far is association rather than a proven role.

## Summary

Component of the MCM8-MCM9 complex, which is involved in the repair of double-stranded DNA breaks (DBSs) and DNA interstrand cross-links (ICLs) by homologous recombination (HR). The MCM8-MCM9 complex is a 3'-5' DNA helicase and single-stranded (ss)DNA-stimulated ATPase which binds ssDNA in the presence of nucleoside triphosphates. Required for DNA resection by the MRE11-RAD50-NBN/NBS1 (MRN) complex by recruiting the MRN complex to the repair site and by promoting the complex nuclease activity.

Open Targets scores its association with cancer at 0.51 (direct and indirect evidence; datatypes literature 0.97, animal model 0.34, genetic association 0.62).

## Fields

- Kind: Target
- Last checked: 2026-09-23
- Also known as: minichromosome maintenance 8 homologous recombination repair factor; DNA helicase MCM8; MGC4816; MGC12866; MGC119522; MGC119523; dJ967N21.5; C20orf154
- Tags: cancer-genes-wave
- Symbol: MCM8
- Class: enzyme
- Biology: Component of the MCM8-MCM9 complex, which is involved in the repair of double-stranded DNA breaks (DBSs) and DNA interstrand cross-links (ICLs) by homologous recombination (HR). The MCM8-MCM9 complex is a 3'-5' DNA helicase and single-stranded (ss)DNA-stimulated ATPase which binds ssDNA in the presence of nucleoside triphosphates. Required for DNA resection by the MRE11-RAD50-NBN/NBS1 (MRN) complex by recruiting the MRN complex to the repair site and by promoting the complex nuclease activity. Indirectly regulates the recruitment of downstream effector RAD51 to DNA damage sites including DBSs and ICLs, probably by regulating the localisation of the MNR complex. The MCM8-MCM9 complex is dispensable for DNA replication and S phase progression. May play a non-essential for DNA replication: may be involved in the activation of the prereplicative complex (pre-RC) during G(1) phase by recruiting CDC6 to the origin recognition complex (ORC). Location: Nucleus; Chromosome; Cytoplasm; Mitochondrion matrix (UniProt). Locus 20p12.3 (HGNC).

## Notes

- Written by scripts/fetch-cancer-genes.ts from CIViC, Open Targets, IntOGen, HGNC and UniProt; the function text is UniProt's, condensed and in UK spelling. Roles: UniProt keyword "DNA repair". Evidence tier "association-only" is the strongest of those signals.
- Prevalence not recorded: none of the sources gives a positivity rate.

## Sources

- HGNC HGNC:16147: https://www.genenames.org/data/gene-symbol-report/#!/hgnc_id/HGNC:16147
- UniProt Q9UJA3: https://www.uniprot.org/uniprotkb/Q9UJA3/entry
- NCBI Gene 84515: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/84515
- Ensembl ENSG00000125885: https://www.ensembl.org/Homo_sapiens/Gene/Summary?g=ENSG00000125885

## Connected records

- collections: [Open Targets Platform](https://onco.cc/collections/open-targets/)

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JSON: https://onco.cc/api/v1/entities/mcm8.json