Bacterial helicases in post-transcriptional control

► Bacterial DeaD/DeaH-box helicase are required for translation and decay of mRNAs. ► The E. coli helicase DeaD/CsdA stimulates translation initiation of structured mRNAs. ► DeaD/CsdA is required for translation activation of rpos mRNA by the sRNA DsrA. ► The requirement of the E. coli RhlB helicase in degradosome-mediated RNA decay.