title: Mitochondrial helicases and mitochondrial genome maintenance.
abstract: Helicases are essential enzymes that utilize the energy of nucleotide hydrolysis to drive unwinding of nucleic acid duplexes. Helicases play roles in all aspects of DNA metabolism including DNA repair, DNA replication and transcription. The subcellular locations and functions of several helicases have been studied in detail; however, the roles of specific helicases in mitochondrial biology remain poorly characterized. This review presents important recent advances in identifying and characterizing mitochondrial helicases, some of which also operate in the nucleus.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. nadja@iq.usp.br
authors.forename: Nadja C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: de Souza-Pinto
authors.forename: Maria D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Aamann
authors.forename: Tomasz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kulikowicz
authors.forename: Tinna V
authors.initials: TV
authors.lastname: Stevnsner
authors.forename: Vilhelm A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Bohr
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000375:Aging / Q000235:genetics*; D000818:Animals; D004265:DNA Helicases / Q000378:metabolism*; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000378:metabolism*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000201:enzymology*
chemical_list: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial; D004265:DNA Helicases