DEAD-box ATPases constitute a very large protein family present in all cells, often in great abundance. From bacteria to humans, they play critical roles in many aspects of RNA metabolism, and due to their widespread importance in RNA biology, they have been characterized in great detail at both the structural and biochemical levels. DEAD-box proteins function as RNA-dependent ATPases that can unwind short duplexes of RNA, remodel ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complexes, or act as clamps to promote RNP assembly. Yet, it often remains enigmatic how individual DEAD-box proteins mechanistically contribute to specific RNA-processing steps. Here, we review the role of DEAD-box ATPases in the regulation of gene expression and propose that one common function of these enzymes is in the regulation of liquid–liquid phase separation of RNP condensates.

中文翻译：

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DEAD-Box ATP 酶在基因表达和 RNA-蛋白质凝聚体调控中的作用

DEAD-box ATP 酶构成了一个非常大的蛋白质家族，存在于所有细胞中，而且通常含量非常丰富。从细菌到人类，它们在 RNA 代谢的许多方面发挥着关键作用，并且由于它们在 RNA 生物学中的广泛重要性，它们在结构和生化水平上都得到了详细的表征。 DEAD-box 蛋白作为 RNA 依赖性 ATP 酶发挥作用，可以解开短的 RNA 双链体，重塑核糖核蛋白 (RNP) 复合物，或充当促进 RNP 组装的夹子。然而，单个 DEAD-box 蛋白如何在机制上促进特定的 RNA 加工步骤仍然是个谜。在这里，我们回顾了 DEAD-box ATP 酶在基因表达调节中的作用，并提出这些酶的一个共同功能是调节 RNP 冷凝物的液-液相分离。