What is the role of Helicase in transcription? My textbook says RNA polymerase unzips the DNA during this process, so what does Helicase do?
Since this is not my area of expertise, I searched Google under the key words "role of Helicase in transcription" to get these possible sources:
https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=role+of+Helicase+in+transcription&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&gws_rd=ssl
In the future, you can find the information you desire more quickly, if you use appropriate key words to do your own search. Also see http://hanlib.sou.edu/searchtools/.
During transcription, a process where DNA is used as a template to synthesize RNA molecules, helicase does not directly function. In transcription, helicase unwinding activity is unnecessary because it specifically unwinds DNA duplex strands during DNA replication and DNA repair processes, not during transcription.
Instead, during transcription, the enzyme responsible for unzipping the DNA double helix is known as RNA polymerase. It binds to the DNA at a specific region called the promoter and "unzips" a small segment of the DNA double helix, exposing the template strand. This separation of the double helix creates a transcription bubble.
Inside the transcription bubble, RNA polymerase moves along the template strand, synthesizing a complementary RNA molecule. It reads the exposed DNA template strand and assembles RNA nucleotides into a growing RNA chain.
So, to summarize, during transcription, helicase is not directly involved. Instead, RNA polymerase is responsible for unwinding the DNA double helix and synthesizing RNA molecules.