Helicase - DNA Helicase Discovery History

DNA Helicase Discovery History

DNA helicases were first discovered in E. coli in 1976. The discoverers of this helicase described the molecule as a “DNA unwinding enzyme” that is “found to denature DNA duplexes in an ATP-dependent reaction, without detectably degrading”. The first eukaryotic DNA helicase discovery was in 1978 and found in the lily plant. Since then, DNA helicases were discovered and isolated in other bacteria, viruses, yeast, flies, and higher eukaryotes and has such been accordingly named as “prokaryotic”, “eukaryotic”, “bacteriophage”, and “viral”. Below is a short description of the helicase discovery history:

• 1976 – Discovery and isolation of E. coli based DNA helicase
• 1978 – Discovery of the first eukaryotic DNA helicases, isolated from the lily plant
• 1982 – “T4 gene 41 protein” is the first reported bacteriophage DNA helicase
• 1985 – First mammalian DNA helicases isolated from calf thymus
• 1986 – SV40 large tumor antigen reported as a viral helicase (1st reported viral protein that was determined to serve as a DNA helicase)
• 1986 – ATPaseIII, a yeast protein, determined to be a DNA helicase
• 1988 – Discovery of seven conserved amino acid domains determined to be helicase motifs
• 1989 – Designation of DNA helicase Superfamily I and Superfamily II
• 1990 - Isolation of a human DNA helicase
• 1992 – Isolation of the first reported mitochondrial DNA helicase (from bovine brain)
• 1996 – Report of the discovery of the first purified chloroplast DNA helicase from the pea
• 2002 – Isolation and characterization of the first biochemically active malarial parasite DNA helicase - Plasmodium cynomolgi