Rarely at rest: RNA helicases and their busy contributions to RNA degradation, regulation and quality control.

ABSTRACT: RNA helicases are compact, machine-like proteins that can harness the energy of nucleoside triphosphate binding and hydrolysis to dynamically remodel RNA structures and protein-RNA complexes. Through such activities, helicases participate in virtually every process associated with the expression of genetic information. Often found as components of multi-enzyme assemblies, RNA helicases facilitate the processivity of RNA degradation, the remodeling of protein interactions during maturation of structured RNA precursors, and fidelity checks of RNA quality. In turn, the assemblies modulate and guide the activities of the helicases. We describe the roles of RNA helicases with a conserved "DExD/H box" sequence motif in representative examples of such machineries from bacteria, archaea and eukary

SUBMITTER: Hardwick SW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3590238 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature