DEAD-Box RNA Helicase

DEAD-box RNA helicases are a large, evolutionarily conserved family of ATP-dependent RNA-binding proteins, named for a characteristic Asp-Glu-Ala-Asp (DEAD) amino acid motif in their catalytic core. They use the energy from ATP hydrolysis to unwind RNA secondary structure and remodel RNA-protein complexes, giving them roles across nearly every stage of RNA metabolism, including splicing, ribosome biogenesis, translation, and mRNA decay. Several DEAD-box helicases also intersect with innate immunity, either by directly sensing viral or endogenous RNA or by regulating RNA-editing enzymes that determine whether cellular RNA is recognized as foreign.