Regulatory subunit for CDC7 which activates its kinase activity thereby playing a central role in DNA replication and cell proliferation. Required for progression of S phase. The complex CDC7-DBF4A selectively phosphorylates MCM2 subunit at 'Ser-40' and 'Ser-53' and then is involved in regulating the initiation of DNA replication during cell cycle.
Tissue specificity: Highly expressed in testis and thymus. Expressed also in most cancer cells lines.