Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

DNA helicases: one small step for PcrA, one giant leap for RecBC?

D B Wigley1

  • 1Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, UK. wigley@eric.path.ox.ac.uk

Current Biology : CB
|June 30, 2000
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Site-directed mutagenesis reveals roles for conserved amino acid residues in the hexameric DNA helicase DnaB from Bacillus stearothermophilus.

Nucleic acids research·2002
Same author

The beta-propeller protein YxaL increases the processivity of the PcrA helicase.

Molecular genetics and genomics : MGG·2002
Same author

RadA protein from Archaeoglobus fulgidus forms rings, nucleoprotein filaments and catalyses homologous recombination.

Nucleic acids research·2001
Same author

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of RecG, a replication-fork reversal helicase from Thermotoga maritima complexed with a three-way DNA junction.

Acta crystallographica. Section D, Biological crystallography·2001
Same author

Structural analysis of DNA replication fork reversal by RecG.

Cell·2001
Same author

Defining the roles of individual residues in the single-stranded DNA binding site of PcrA helicase.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2001
Same journal

An adaptable, self-organizing, single-cell morphology circuit optimizes suctorian predatory trap structure.

Current biology : CB·2026
Same journal

Temporal tuning of switch-like virulence expression resolves environmental uncertainty through phenotypic heterogeneity.

Current biology : CB·2026
Same journal

An abstract relational map emerges in the human medial prefrontal cortex with consolidation.

Current biology : CB·2026
Same journal

Phloem evolved gradually and asynchronously to xylem in early vascular plants.

Current biology : CB·2026
Same journal

Tracing the origins of crmA megasynthase through lichen genomes.

Current biology : CB·2026
Same journal

Planar cell polarity-directed cell crawling drives polarized epithelial morphogenesis.

Current biology : CB·2026
See all related articles

Helicase mechanisms are complex, with recent studies indicating that the unwinding of DNA base pairs per ATP hydrolysis is not a simple ratio. Further research is needed to fully understand these intricate molecular processes.

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Molecular Biology
  • Structural Biology

Background:

  • Helicases are essential molecular motors that unwind DNA and RNA duplexes.
  • Their mechanism is often assumed to involve a direct correlation between ATP hydrolysis and base pair unwinding.
  • Understanding this process is crucial for DNA replication, repair, and transcription.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between ATP hydrolysis and base pair unwinding in helicase mechanisms.
  • To explore complexities beyond a simple stoichiometric ratio.

Main Methods:

  • This study likely involved biochemical assays to measure ATP hydrolysis rates.
  • Techniques such as single-molecule FRET or ensemble unwinding assays may have been employed.
  • Computational modeling could also provide insights.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • Initial assumptions about a direct ratio between ATP hydrolysis and base pair unwinding were challenged.
  • Evidence suggests a more intricate mechanism for helicase function.
  • The number of base pairs unwound per ATP molecule may vary depending on conditions or specific helicase type.

Conclusions:

  • The mechanism of helicases is more complex than a simple stoichiometric relationship.
  • Further research is required to elucidate the precise molecular steps and regulatory factors involved in helicase-mediated unwinding.
  • This complexity has implications for understanding DNA metabolism and developing targeted therapeutics.