Helicase structure and mechanism
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Updated: Oct 2, 2026

Hybrid Ensemble and Single-molecule Assay to Image the Motion of Fully Reconstituted CMG
Published on: July 26, 2024
Jonathan M Caruthers1, David B McKay
1Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305, USA.
Abstract:
Structural information on helicase proteins has expanded recently beyond the DNA helicases Rep and PcrA, and the hepatitis C virus RNA helicase to include UvrB, members of the DEA(D/H)-box RNA helicase family, examples of DnaB-related helicases and RuvB. The expanding database of structures has clarified the structural 'theme and variations' that relate the different helicase families. Furthermore, information is emerging on the functions of the conserved helicase motifs and their participation in the mechanisms by which these proteins catalyze the remodeling of DNA and RNA in ATP-dependent activities.
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The synthesis of the leading and lagging strands is a highly coordinated process. To explain this, the “Trombone model” was proposed by Bruce Alberts in 1980. The DNA loop formation starts when a primer is synthesized on the parent lagging strand. The loop grows with the...

