ATP- and magnesium-dependent helicase that plays an essential role in innate immunity (PubMed:
30510222). Participates in the DNA- triggered cGAS/STING pathway by promoting the DNA binding and activation of CGAS. Enhances also DDX58-induced type I interferon production probably by helping DDX58 at sensing pathogenic RNA (PubMed:
30804210). In addition, plays an essential role in stress granule formation (PubMed:
12642610, PubMed:
20180778, PubMed:
23279204). Unwinds preferentially partial DNA and RNA duplexes having a 17 bp annealed portion and either a hanging 3' tail or hanging tails at both 5'- and 3'-ends (PubMed:
9889278). Unwinds DNA/DNA, RNA/DNA, and RNA/RNA substrates with comparable efficiency (PubMed:
9889278). Acts unidirectionally by moving in the 5' to 3' direction along the bound single-stranded DNA (PubMed:
9889278). Phosphorylation-dependent sequence-specific endoribonuclease in vitro (PubMed:
11604510). Cleaves exclusively between cytosine and adenine and cleaves MYC mRNA preferentially at the 3'-UTR (PubMed:
11604510).