Single-Molecule Insights Into the Dynamics of Replicative Helicases

Abstract

Helicases are molecular motors that translocate along single-stranded DNA and unwind duplex DNA. Specialized helicases play a critically important role in DNA replication by unwinding DNA at the front of the replication fork. This review discusses single-molecule approaches used to investigate the dynamics of replicative helicases and the insights these methods provide into helicase behaviour within the replisome.