Eukaryotic DNA helicases: essential enzymes for DNA transactions

DNA in its double-stranded form is energetically favoured and therefore very stable. However, DNA is involved in metabolic events and thus has a continuous dynamic. Processes such as DNA replication, DNA repair, DNA recombination and transcription require that DNA occurs transiently in a single-stranded form. This status can be achieved by enzymes called DNA helicases. These enzymes have the power to melt the hydrogen bonds between the base pairs by using nucleoside 5'-triphosphate hydrolysis as an energy source. A variety of different DNA helicases have recently been identified from eukaryotic viruses and cells. We focus on the current knowledge of these DNA helicases and their possible function in DNA transactions.