Subscribe to our Newsletters !!
Although copying the blueprint is extremely comple
Biotech Fluidics offers a range of non-invasive fl
The recent rabies death of an 11 year old Canadian
Cipla Limited (BSE: 500087; NSE: CIPLA EQ; and her
Generic medicines have become a cornerstone in hea
Tofu used to be associated with Asian cuisine, but
Dear Readers, Welcome to the latest issue of Micro
Although copying the blueprint is extremely complex, perhaps the most extraordinary aspect of this process is the need for the instruction to be copied. Without the copier we wouldn’t be able to learn, think, or even perceive the world in the same way. DNA tells cells how to build structure and execute functions in the body. One of these functions is the molecular extruding motor called helicase.
Helicase is an ATP hydrolysis enzyme that unwinds double-stranded nucleic acids during transcription and replication. While in the case of replication, helicase traverses along the DNA, hydrolyzes ATP, and breaks H-bonds between the complementary strands, thereby creating a replication fork.
Helicase’s motion resembles the action of a zipper as it travels along the DNA and breaks the H-bonds in the helical turns of the double helix.
The fork is continuously new DNA is being synthesized by the other components of the replication machinery.
Helicase has many roles in cellular functions outside of DNA replication. Other processes include transcription, genome stability, recombination, repair and maintenance.
Helicases have biological functions in different pathways, and failure to function properly leads to an inability to preserve genetic material.
The peculiar nature of nucleic acid handling by helicases has electrified interest in molecular biology and biotechnology. Investigating the activity of helicases informs the study on the mechanisms of replication of genetic material and the various disorders and instability of the genome, as well as the creation of new therapeutic methods.
Helicase-related mechanisms are important in molecular diagnostics where technology for the detection and/or amplification of nucleic acids is constantly developing.
The importance of certain helicases in preserving the integrity of the genome results in the presence of genetic defects and cellular abnormalities. Studying helicases can answer questions surrounding the development of genomic abnormalities and the cellular response to genomic defects.
For researchers, helicases connect the study of molecular biology with the various forms of cellular abnormality.
Genome replication requires an enormous degree of precision, and the role of helicases is to unwind the double helix of DNA and initiate the procedure that guarantees the correct replication of genetic information.
Not just an enzyme, helicases are molecular motors that sustain the momentum required for the continuous replication of the genome and the preservation of the genetic information across generations.
Research on the mechanisms of helicase activity continues to advance. New insights will aid in understanding all of the complexities and possibilities of how these molecular motors function. Studying modern day genomics and applications such as molecular diagnostics, biotechnology, and biomedical research will become even more vital as more is known.
The scientific study of helicase activity continues to advance with each discovery.
