title: Unwinding the 'Gordian knot' of helicase action.
abstract: Helicases are enzymes involved in every aspect of nucleic acid metabolism. Recent structural and biochemical evidence is beginning to provide details of their molecular mechanism of action. Crystal structures of helicases have revealed an underlying common structural fold. However, although there are many similarities between the mechanisms of different classes of helicase, not all aspects of the helicase activity are the same in all members of this enzyme family.
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry, University of Nottingham, University Park, NG7 2RD, Nottingham, UK.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Soultanas
authors.forename: D B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Wigley
mesh_terms: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D020816:Amino Acid Motifs; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D004265:DNA Helicases / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D009692:Nucleic Acid Heteroduplexes / Q000378:metabolism; D020365:RNA Helicases / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D009692:Nucleic Acid Heteroduplexes; C084217:pcrA protein, Bacteria; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D004265:DNA Helicases; D020365:RNA Helicases