The helicase enzyme flexibility

Scientists from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute discovered that the helicase enzyme exhibits flexibility when it meets an obstacle. The study suggests that helicase may play a role in maintaining genomic integrity. The helicase enzyme plays a crutial role in DNA replication, it unwinds double-stranded DNA to create single strands suitable for copying. The enzyme normally goes along the length of a DNA strand. The studies show that the enzyme moves back to its original position on the DNA strand so that it can begin the process again. The discovery could help patients with helicase-related disease, for example Bloom syndrome. It is caused by a defect in a helicase. People with this defect show an increased tendency towards many types of cancer. The study is published in the October 27, 2005, issue of the journal Nature For more information please click "here":[ http://www.nature.com].

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