Background information
DNA helicase involved in cellular proliferation. Possesses DNA-dependent ATPase and helicase activities. This helicase translocates on single-stranded DNA in the 5' to 3' direction in the presence of ATP and, to a lesser extent, dATP. Its unwinding activity requires a 5'-single-stranded region for helicase loading, since flush-ended duplex structures do not support unwinding. The helicase activity is capable of displacing duplex regions up to 100 bp, which can be extended to 500 bp by RPA or the cohesion establishment factor, the Ctf18-RFC (replication factor C) complex activities. Stimulates the flap endonuclease activity of FEN1. Required for normal sister chromatid cohesion. Required for recruitement of bovine papillomavirus type 1 regulatory protein E2 to mitotic chrmosomes and for viral genome maintenance. Required for maintaining the chromosome segregation and is essential for embryonic development and the prevention of aneuploidy. May function during either S, G2, or M phase of the cell cycle. Binds to both single- and double-stranded DNA.Tissue specificity: Highly expressed in spleen, B-cells, thymus, testis, ovary, small intestine, and pancreas. Very low expression seen in the brain. Expressed in dividing cells and/or cells undergoing high levels of recombination. No expression is seen in cells signaled to terminally differentiate. Expressed in keratinocyte growth factor-stimulated cells but not in serum, EGF and IL1-beta-treated keratinocytes.
