Role and Regulation of Pif1 Family Helicases at the Replication Fork
Emory G. Malone, Matthew D. Thompson, Alicia K. Byrd
Abstract
Pif1 helicases are a multifunctional family of DNA helicases that are important for many aspects of genomic stability in the nucleus and mitochondria. Pif1 helicases are conserved from bacteria to humans. Pif1 helicases play multiple roles at the replication fork, including promoting replication through many barriers such as G-quadruplex DNA, the rDNA replication fork barrier, tRNA genes, and R-loops. Pif1 helicases also regulate telomerase and promote replication termination, Okazaki fragment maturation, and break-induced replication. This review highlights many of the roles and regulations of Pif1 at the replication fork that promote cellular health and viability.
Topics & Concepts
HelicaseBiologyOkazaki fragmentsMinichromosome maintenanceGeneticsControl of chromosome duplicationDNA replicationCell biologyFork (system call)TelomeraseEukaryotic DNA replicationDNAGeneRNAComputer scienceOperating systemDNA Repair MechanismsChromosomal and Genetic VariationsGenetics and Neurodevelopmental Disorders