Human RECQ helicases: roles in cancer, aging, and inherited disease

摘要

Abstract: DNA helicases use the energy of ATP hydrolysis to disrupt DNA base pairing and displace proteins from DNA in order to facilitate replication, recombination, transcription, and repair. This article focuses on the human RECQ helicases, five DNA-dependent helicases that play key roles in cellular physiology and disease. Loss of function of three RECQ helicases causes the cancer predisposition syndromes Bloom syndrome, Werner syndrome, and Rothmund–Thomson and related syndromes. We summarize recent work on these syndromes and proteins and discuss disease pathogenesis in light of RECQ helicase biochemical activities and in vivo functions.