Helicases are a class of enzymes that play a crucial role in the unwinding of nucleic acids. These enzymes are essential in various biological processes, including DNA replication, repair, recombination, and transcription. By utilizing energy derived from the hydrolysis of nucleotide triphosphates (usually ATP), helicases catalyze the separation of double-stranded DNA or RNA into single strands, thus facilitating access for other enzymes involved in nucleic acid metabolism.
