title: DNA helicase and helicase-nuclease enzymes with a conserved iron-sulfur cluster.
abstract: Conserved Iron-Sulfur (Fe-S) clusters are found in a growing family of metalloproteins that are implicated in prokaryotic and eukaryotic DNA replication and repair. Among these are DNA helicase and helicase-nuclease enzymes that preserve chromosomal stability and are genetically linked to diseases characterized by DNA repair defects and/or a poor response to replication stress. Insight to the structural and functional importance of the conserved Fe-S domain in DNA helicases has been gleaned from structural studies of the purified proteins and characterization of Fe-S cluster site-directed mutants. In this review, we will provide a current perspective of what is known about the Fe-S cluster helicases, with an emphasis on how the conserved redox active domain may facilitate mechanistic aspects of helicase function. We will discuss testable models for how the conserved Fe-S cluster might operate in helicase and helicase-nuclease enzymes to conduct their specialized functions that help to preserve the integrity of the genome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Saskatchewan, Health Sciences Building, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N 5E5, Canada. yuliang.wu@usask.ca
authors.forename: Yuliang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Robert M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Brosh
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D045647:DNA Glycosylases / Q000737:chemistry; D004265:DNA Helicases / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D019915:DNA Primase / Q000737:chemistry; D003851:Deoxyribonucleases / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D007506:Iron-Sulfur Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary
chemical_list: D007506:Iron-Sulfur Proteins; D004247:DNA; D019915:DNA Primase; D003851:Deoxyribonucleases; D045647:DNA Glycosylases; D004265:DNA Helicases