The macroscopic rate of nucleic acid translocation by hepatitis C virus helicase NS3h is dependent on both sugar and base moieties.

ABSTRACT: The nonstructural protein 3 helicase (NS3h) of hepatitis C virus is a 3'-to-5' superfamily 2 RNA and DNA helicase that is essential for the replication of hepatitis C virus. We have examined the kinetic mechanism of the translocation of NS3h along single-stranded nucleic acid with bases uridylate (rU), deoxyuridylate (dU), and deoxythymidylate (dT), and have found that the macroscopic rate of translocation is dependent on both the base moiety and the sugar moiety of the nucleic acid, with approximate macroscopic translocation rates of 3 nt s(-1) (oligo(dT)), 35 nt s(-1) (oligo(dU)), and 42 nt s(-1) (oligo(rU)), respectively. We found a strong correlation between the macroscopic translocation rates and the binding affinity of the translocating NS3h protein for the respective substrates such

SUBMITTER: Khaki AR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2902667 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature