The origin recognition complex (ORC) is a highly conserved six subunit protein complex essential for the initiation of the DNA replication in eukaryotic cells. Studies in yeast demonstrated that ORC binds specifically to origins of replication and serves as a platform for the assembly of additional initiation factors such as Cdc6 and Mcm proteins. This gene encodes a subunit of the ORC complex. Several alternatively spliced transcript variants, some of which encode the same protein, have been reported for this gene. [provided by RefSeq, Oct 2010]