A helicase with an extra spring in its step.
DNA replication requires hexameric ring-shaped helicases that unwind double-stranded DNA. In this issue, Itsathitphaisarn et al. report a high-resolution crystal structure of DnaB in complex with single-stranded DNA and nucleotide triphosphate analogs, revealing a unique mechanism by which DnaB unwinds DNA two base pairs at a time.
B CUBE, Center for Molecular Bioengineering, Technische Universität Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany. schlierf@bcube-dresden.de
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