Helicases

Helicases are proteins that are essential components of cell processes. They are enzymes that are involved in the unwinding of double-stranded nucleic acids such as DNA or RNA. By breaking the hydrogen bonds of the double strands, helicases enable the strands to be separated and can thus be used in a variety of molecular processes such as replication, repair, transcription, and recombination. Due to their importance in a variety of cell activities, helicases are key components in DNA metabolism and are essential for life.