DNA replication factor C complex

GO:0005663 · Other · Multiprotein complex · Proposed

A complex that loads the DNA polymerase processivity factor proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) onto DNA, thereby permitting processive DNA synthesis catalyzed by DNA polymerase. In eukaryotes the complex consists of five polypeptides. [GO:0005663]

Synonyms: RFC complex; activator 1 complex

Part of: GO:0005657 — replication fork (no local record)

UniProt location names: UniProt Consortium, CC BY 4.0. Reference label and route sources.

Components

Component	Type	Part of / acts on	Grounding	Genes	Essential	Role
Rfc1 large subunit	Protein	part of	Reviewed label only (reviewed name; no accession asserted)	RFC1	UNKNOWN	Named Saccharomyces cerevisiae constituent of the five-subunit DNA replication factor C complex. `GO:0005663` GO:0005663 defines the eukaryotic DNA replication factor C complex as consisting of five polypeptides. `DOI:10.1128/MCB.15.9.4661` Cullmann et al. 1995 characterized the five Saccharomyces cerevisiae replication factor C genes.
Rfc2 subunit	Protein	part of	Reviewed label only (reviewed name; no accession asserted)	RFC2	UNKNOWN	Named Saccharomyces cerevisiae constituent of the five-subunit DNA replication factor C complex. `GO:0005663` GO:0005663 defines the eukaryotic DNA replication factor C complex as consisting of five polypeptides. `DOI:10.1128/MCB.15.9.4661` Cullmann et al. 1995 characterized the five Saccharomyces cerevisiae replication factor C genes.
Rfc3 subunit	Protein	part of	Reviewed label only (reviewed name; no accession asserted)	RFC3	UNKNOWN	Named Saccharomyces cerevisiae constituent of the five-subunit DNA replication factor C complex. `GO:0005663` GO:0005663 defines the eukaryotic DNA replication factor C complex as consisting of five polypeptides. `DOI:10.1128/MCB.15.9.4661` Cullmann et al. 1995 characterized the five Saccharomyces cerevisiae replication factor C genes.
Rfc4 subunit	Protein	part of	Reviewed label only (reviewed name; no accession asserted)	RFC4	UNKNOWN	Named Saccharomyces cerevisiae constituent of the five-subunit DNA replication factor C complex. `GO:0005663` GO:0005663 defines the eukaryotic DNA replication factor C complex as consisting of five polypeptides. `DOI:10.1128/MCB.15.9.4661` Cullmann et al. 1995 characterized the five Saccharomyces cerevisiae replication factor C genes.
Rfc5 subunit	Protein	part of	Reviewed label only (reviewed name; no accession asserted)	RFC5	UNKNOWN	Named Saccharomyces cerevisiae constituent of the five-subunit DNA replication factor C complex. `GO:0005663` GO:0005663 defines the eukaryotic DNA replication factor C complex as consisting of five polypeptides. `DOI:10.1128/MCB.15.9.4661` Cullmann et al. 1995 characterized the five Saccharomyces cerevisiae replication factor C genes. `DOI:10.1093/nar/23.24.4986` Gary and Burgers 1995 identified the fifth Saccharomyces cerevisiae replication factor C subunit.

Taxonomic distribution

NCBITaxon:4932 Saccharomyces cerevisiae — COMMON: Budding yeast has a DNA replication factor C complex encoded by the RFC1, RFC2, RFC3, RFC4, and RFC5 genes. [DOI:10.1128/MCB.15.9.4661]

Canonical examples

NCBITaxon:4932 Saccharomyces cerevisiae — Reference budding-yeast system in which the five replication factor C genes were characterized. [DOI:10.1128/MCB.15.9.4661]

Functions

DNA clamp loader activity GO:0003689 — DNA replication factor C loads the sliding-clamp processivity factor PCNA onto DNA.
- GO:0005663 GO:0005663 defines the RFC complex by its role in loading PCNA onto DNA.
- GO:0003689 GO:0003689 is the Gene Ontology molecular-function term for DNA clamp loader activity.
DNA replication GO:0006260 — DNA replication factor C permits processive DNA synthesis by loading PCNA for replicative DNA polymerases.
- GO:0005663 GO:0005663 defines the RFC complex as permitting processive DNA synthesis catalyzed by DNA polymerase.
- GO:0006260 GO:0006260 is the Gene Ontology biological-process term for DNA replication.

Mechanism graphs

RFC loads the PCNA sliding clamp (FUNCTION)

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the Rfc1, Rfc2, Rfc3, Rfc4, and Rfc5 subunits form the DNA replication factor C complex that loads PCNA and supports DNA replication.

Subject	Predicate	Object	Evidence
Rfc1 large subunit	contributes to	DNA replication factor C complex	`GO:0005663` GO:0005663 defines eukaryotic RFC as a five-polypeptide complex. `DOI:10.1128/MCB.15.9.4661` Cullmann et al. 1995 characterized the five Saccharomyces cerevisiae RFC genes.
Rfc2 subunit	contributes to	DNA replication factor C complex	`GO:0005663` GO:0005663 defines eukaryotic RFC as a five-polypeptide complex. `DOI:10.1128/MCB.15.9.4661` Cullmann et al. 1995 characterized the five Saccharomyces cerevisiae RFC genes.
Rfc3 subunit	contributes to	DNA replication factor C complex	`GO:0005663` GO:0005663 defines eukaryotic RFC as a five-polypeptide complex. `DOI:10.1128/MCB.15.9.4661` Cullmann et al. 1995 characterized the five Saccharomyces cerevisiae RFC genes.
Rfc4 subunit	contributes to	DNA replication factor C complex	`GO:0005663` GO:0005663 defines eukaryotic RFC as a five-polypeptide complex. `DOI:10.1128/MCB.15.9.4661` Cullmann et al. 1995 characterized the five Saccharomyces cerevisiae RFC genes.
Rfc5 subunit	contributes to	DNA replication factor C complex	`GO:0005663` GO:0005663 defines eukaryotic RFC as a five-polypeptide complex. `DOI:10.1128/MCB.15.9.4661` Cullmann et al. 1995 characterized the five Saccharomyces cerevisiae RFC genes.
DNA replication factor C complex	enables	DNA clamp loader activity	`GO:0005663` GO:0005663 defines RFC by PCNA loading onto DNA. `GO:0003689` GO:0003689 is the molecular-function term for DNA clamp loader activity.
DNA replication factor C complex	supports	DNA replication	`GO:0005663` GO:0005663 defines RFC as permitting processive DNA synthesis. `GO:0006260` GO:0006260 is the biological-process term for DNA replication.

Discussions

CURATION_TODO (OPEN): Resolve exact source-neutral family groundings for the Rfc1, Rfc2, Rfc3, Rfc4, and Rfc5 constituents of the DNA replication factor C complex. GO:0005663 exactly identifies the DNA replication factor C complex and Cullmann et al. 1995 support the five Saccharomyces cerevisiae RFC genes, but exact source-neutral InterPro, Pfam, NCBIfam or UniProtKB family boundaries for the five subunit classes need narrower follow-up curation.

Evidence

GO:0005663 Gene Ontology cellular-component term for the DNA replication factor C complex.
GO:0032991 Gene Ontology cellular-component parent term for protein-containing complexes.
GO:0005657 — replication fork Gene Ontology cellular-component term for the replication fork; GO:0005663 is part of this term.
GO:0003689 Gene Ontology molecular-function term for DNA clamp loader activity.
GO:0006260 Gene Ontology biological-process term for DNA replication.
PMID:7651383 PubMed identifier for Cullmann et al. 1995, the Molecular and Cellular Biology paper on the five Saccharomyces cerevisiae replication factor C genes.
DOI:10.1128/MCB.15.9.4661 DOI for Cullmann et al. 1995, verified through PubMed and PMC.
PMID:8559655 PubMed identifier for Gary and Burgers 1995, the Nucleic Acids Research paper on the fifth Saccharomyces cerevisiae replication factor C subunit.
DOI:10.1093/nar/23.24.4986 DOI for Gary and Burgers 1995, verified through PubMed and PMC.
PMID:14614842 PubMed identifier for Kim and MacNeill 2003, one of the GO:0005663 definition sources.
DOI:10.1016/j.cub.2003.10.048 DOI for Kim and MacNeill 2003, verified through PubMed.
PMID:14646196 PubMed identifier for Kitabayashi et al. 2003, one of the GO:0005663 definition sources.
DOI:10.1271/bbb.67.2373 DOI for Kitabayashi et al. 2003, verified through PubMed.
PMID:16172520 PubMed identifier for Nishida et al. 2005, one of the GO:0005663 definition sources.
DOI:10.1266/ggs.80.83 DOI for Nishida et al. 2005, verified through PubMed.

Curation history

2026-09-27T10:43:12Z codex · CREATED_RECORD — Scaffolded by scripts/new_record.py
2026-09-27T10:43:56Z codex · EXPANDED_RECORD — Added GO RFC synonymy, protein-containing-complex parentage, replication-fork parthood, five reviewed-label-only budding-yeast RFC constituent rows, DNA-clamp-loader and DNA-replication functions, GO/PubMed/DOI evidence, a nonmechanistic function graph, and an RFC subunit-grounding TODO.
2026-09-27T10:44:23Z codex · TIGHTEN_EVIDENCE — Narrowed the Saccharomyces cerevisiae RFC canonical example to the five-gene evidence carried by its single citation.

Source: data/structures/other/dna_replication_factor_c_complex.yaml