DNA replication licensing factor MCM8 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the MCM8 gene.

The protein encoded by this gene is one of the highly conserved mini-chromosome maintenance proteins (MCM) that are essential for the initiation of eukaryotic genome replication. The hexameric protein complex formed by the MCM proteins is a key component of the pre-replication complex (pre_RC) and may be involved in the formation of replication forks and in the recruitment of other DNA replication related proteins. This protein contains the central domain that is conserved among the MCM proteins. This protein has been shown to co-immunoprecipitate with MCM4, 6 and 7, which suggests that it may interact with other MCM proteins and play a role in DNA replication. Alternatively spliced transcript variants encoding distinct isoforms have been described. [provided by RefSeq, Jul 2008].
Function: May have a role in the control of cell proliferation. Appears to be involved in the activation of the prereplicative complex (pre-RC) during G(1) phase by recruiting CDC6 to the origin recognition complex (ORC). Binds chromatin throughout the cell cycle.