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Updated: May 10, 2026

Analyzing and Building Nucleic Acid Structures with 3DNA
Published on: April 26, 2013
From keys to bulldozers: expanding roles for winged helix domains in nucleic-acid-binding proteins
Gábor M Harami1, Máté Gyimesi, Mihály Kovács
1ELTE-MTA Momentum Motor Enzymology Research Group, Department of Biochemistry, Eötvös University, H-1117 Budapest, Pázmány P. stny. 1/C, Hungary.
Abstract:
The winged helix domain (WHD) is a widespread nucleic-acid-binding protein structural element found in all kingdoms of life. Although the overall structure of the WHD is conserved, its functional properties and interaction profiles are extremely versatile. WHD-containing proteins can exploit nearly the full spectrum of nucleic acid structural features for recognition and even covalent modification or noncovalent rearrangement of target molecules. WHD functions range from sequence-recognizing keys in transcription factors and bulldozer-like strand-separating wedges in helicases to mediators of protein-protein interactions (PPIs). Further investigations are needed to understand the contribution of WHD structural dynamics to nucleic-acid-modifying enzymatic functions.
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