Abstract
Three helicase structures have been determined recently: that of the DNA helicase PcrA, that of the hepatitis C virus RNA helicase, and that of the Escherichia coli DNA helicase Rep. PcrA and Rep belong to the same super- family of helicases (SF1) and are structurally very similar. In contrast, the HCV helicase belongs to a different super-family of helicases, SF2, and shows little sequence homology with the PcrA/Rep helicases. Yet, the HCV helicase is structurally similar to Rep/PcrA, suggesting preservation of structural scaffolds and relationships between helicase motifs across these two super- families. The comparison study presented here also reveals the existence of a new helicase motif in the SF1 family of helicases.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 605-610 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Protein Science |
Volume | 7 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Mar 1998 |
Keywords
- HCV
- Helicase motif
- Rep
- Structure