helicase

1 9.1

A protein that separates DNA or RNA strands during processes like copying and repair

noun
/ˈhɛlɪˌkeɪs/

Specialized

: helicasa

In addition, we searched databases and published papers for further GBV-C helicase sequences in patients with non-fulminant hepatitis.
helicase activity
helicase sequences

Examples

Our multiple sequence alignment of all nucleic acid data showed two major differences between the GBV-C helicase sequences of the patients with fulminant hepatic failure and those of the control group blood donors.

Academic text (1996)
The helicase enzyme unwinds the double-stranded DNA, allowing replication to proceed smoothly.
You have to have the helicase that breaks the hydrogen bonds that hold the double strands together to separate the DNA.
That's from where the origin of replica, from where the helicase is unzipping.
In the cellular repair process, helicase separates the strands of DNA to enable accurate copying.
Researchers studied how helicase functions to unzip RNA strands during transcription and replication.

Surface Forms

helicase singular

helicases plural

Morphology

helicase = helix (semi-transparent) = helic + ase

Formed from 'helix' (spiral) + the enzyme-forming suffix '-ase'; the connection to 'helix' is clear but '-ase' is a technical suffix that many learners may not know.

Etymology

The word helicase comes from the Greek root helix, meaning 'spiral', and the enzyme ending -ase. So a helicase is like a 'spiral enzyme' that unwinds the DNA helix to separate the two strands.