Loading strategies of ring-shaped nucleic acid translocases and helicases.

ABSTRACT: Ring-shaped nucleic acid translocases and helicases catalyze the directed and processive movement of nucleic acid strands to support essential transactions such as replication, transcription, and chromosome partitioning. Assembled typically as hexamers, ring helicase/translocase systems use coordinated cycles of nucleoside triphosphate (NTP) hydrolysis to translocate extended DNA or RNA substrates through a central pore. Ring formation presents a topological challenge to the engagement of substrate oligonucleotides, and is frequently overcome by distinct loading strategies for shepherding specific motors onto their respective substrates. Recent structural studies that capture different loading intermediates have begun to reveal how different helicase/translocase rings either assemble aroun

SUBMITTER: O'Shea VL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4040187 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature