Helicases

Helicases are essential enzymes that unwind DNA and RNA duplexes, playing critical roles in DNA replication, repair, recombination, and transcription. Given their pivotal role in maintaining genomic stability, helicases have emerged as promising therapeutic targets for cancer, viral infections, and genetic disorders. Targeting helicases can disrupt vital processes in pathogens or cancer cells and support the development of new therapeutic approaches.

Helicase Discovery Services

Protein Products

High-quality in-house production of helicase proteins for biochemical and biophysical studies.

Available Helicase Targets

Target	Cat No.	Target	Cat No.
WRN	S2207F-H01HF	DDX11 (ChR1)	S2503F-H04G
BLM	E2202T-H19H	DHX36	S2503F-H18HA
RECQ1	E2204T-H02H	DDX41	E2412F-H08H
RECQ4	E2204T-H01HU	DHX39	E2412T-H14G
RECQ5	E2204T-H04H	DDX21	E2501T-H18H
HELQ	S2307F-H01HMF	XPD	S2501F-H13H
DHX9	S2309T-H13HF	LGP2 (DHX58)	S2412F-H09H
POLQ	S2201T-H02H	DDX3X	E2501T-H17H
MDA5 (IFIH1)	E2403T-H04G	RIG-I (DDX58)	E2410T-H26HU
FANCJ	S2204F-H07FH	DDX48 (eIF4A3)	E2412F-H15H

Biochemical Assays

ADP-Glo and Fluorescence Intensity (FI) unwinding assays are available to assess helicase activity. All targets have been assembled into a standardized ATPase panel for side-by-side comparison of compound selectivity, as shown in the IC₅₀ data figure below.

Helicase ATPase panel IC50 data

Biophysical Assays

SPR and Spectral Shift (SpS) assays are available for detailed kinetic studies of helicase interactions. SpS has been performed on a subset of helicases as shown below. Each K_d value in the “Ref. Cpd” row corresponds to a different known binder selected for the individual target.

Compound	K_d, nM — Helicase Targets
	DHX9	RIG-I	DDX3X	LGP2	DHX41	DDX21	DDX39	DDX48	XPD	WRN
Ref. Cpd (per target)	20.1	201	7700	1700	655	6000	5780	25200	557	259

Additional Discovery Capabilities

Protein Degradation Assays: Specialized assays for analyzing helicase degradation.

Cell-Based Assays: Robust cell-based assays to evaluate the cellular effects of helicase modulation.

CDX and Resistance Models: Development and use of CDX models and resistance models for in vivo studies of helicase-targeting compounds.

Related Resources

Application Notes

WRN helicase target capabilities application note

Comprehensive WRN Target Capabilities: Proteins, Assays, and In Vivo Resistance Model ↗

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Cell Based Assays

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