Knowledge of the molecular events in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) replication is crucial to
understanding the origins of human disorders arising from mitochondrial dysfunction.
Twinkle helicase is an essential component of mtDNA replication. Here, we employed
atomic force microscopy imaging in air and liquids to visualize ring assembly, DNA binding,
and unwinding activity of individual Twinkle hexamers at the single-molecule level. We
observed that the Twinkle subunits self-assemble into hexamers and higher-order …