Single-molecule studies reveal reciprocating of WRN helicase core along ssDNA during DNA unwinding.

ABSTRACT: Werner syndrome is caused by mutations in the WRN gene encoding WRN helicase. A knowledge of WRN helicase's DNA unwinding mechanism in vitro is helpful for predicting its behaviors in vivo, and then understanding their biological functions. In the present study, for deeply understanding the DNA unwinding mechanism of WRN, we comprehensively characterized the DNA unwinding properties of chicken WRN helicase core in details, by taking advantages of single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer (smFRET) method. We showed that WRN exhibits repetitive DNA unwinding and translocation behaviors on different DNA structures, including forked, overhanging and G-quadruplex-containing DNAs with an apparently limited unwinding processivity. It was further revealed that the repetitive behaviors

SUBMITTER: Wu WQ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5339710 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature