helicasecomplex
Helicasecomplex refers to a multi-subunit molecular motor that uses energy from nucleotide triphosphate hydrolysis to unwind duplex nucleic acids. In cells, helicase complexes are essential for replication, repair, recombination, and transcription, and they typically function by encircling one strand of DNA or RNA while translocating along it to separate the strands.
Most helicase complexes form ring-shaped assemblies, often as hexamers or other oligomers. Their core consists of
Mechanistically, a helicase complex binds to a nucleic acid duplex and, through cycles of ATP binding and
In replication, helicase complexes cooperate with primases and DNA polymerases to establish and maintain a replication
Prominent examples include bacterial DnaB and the eukaryotic MCM2-7 complex, which act as core motors in their
Research approaches employ X-ray crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy to resolve structure, and single-molecule assays to study