解旋酶,利用ATP水解来分离核酸双链体,在DNA和RNA复制中起关键作用,修复,重组,和转录。分为主要群体超家族1(SF1)和超家族2(SF2),与四个小团体一起,这些蛋白质表现出保守的催化核心,表明共同的进化起源,同时通过与各种底物的相互作用表现出功能多样性。这篇综述总结了这些结构,SF1和SF2解旋酶的功能和机制,重点是保守的ATPase位点和RecA样结构域,它们的酶和核酸结合能力是必需的。它突出了SF1解旋酶中独特的1B和2B结构域及其对酶活性的影响。DNA解链过程很详细,覆盖底物识别,ATP水解,和构象变化,同时解决了关于UvrD解旋酶活性形式和展开后解离的争论。更重要的是,这篇综述讨论了解旋酶在纳米孔测序等新兴技术中的生物技术潜力,蛋白质测序,和等温扩增,专注于它们在病原体检测中的使用,生物传感器增强,和癌症治疗。随着理解的加深,基因组编辑的创新应用,DNA测序,和合成生物学的预期。
Helicases, which utilize ATP hydrolysis to separate nucleic acid duplexes, play crucial roles in DNA and RNA replication, repair, recombination, and transcription. Categorized into the major groups superfamily 1 (SF1) and superfamily 2 (SF2), alongside four minor groups, these proteins exhibit a conserved catalytic core indicative of a shared evolutionary origin while displaying functional diversity through interactions with various substrates. This review summarizes the structures, functions and mechanisms of SF1 and SF2 helicases, with an emphasis on conserved ATPase sites and RecA-like domains essential for their enzymatic and nucleic acid binding capabilities. It highlights the unique 1B and 2B domains in SF1 helicases and their impact on enzymatic activity. The DNA unwinding process is detailed, covering substrate recognition, ATP hydrolysis, and conformational changes, while addressing debates over the active form of UvrD helicase and post-unwinding dissociation. More importantly, this review discusses the biotechnological potential of helicases in emerging technologies such as nanopore sequencing, protein sequencing, and isothermal amplification, focusing on their use in pathogen detection, biosensor enhancement, and cancer treatment. As understanding deepens, innovative applications in genome editing, DNA sequencing, and synthetic biology are anticipated.