Escherichia coli UvrD DNA helicase functions in several DNA repair processes. As a monomer, UvrD can translocate rapidly and processively along ssDNA; however, the monomer is a poor helicase. To unwind duplex DNA in vitro, UvrD needs to be activated either by self-assembly to form a dimer or by interaction with an accessory protein. However, the mechanism of activation is not understood. UvrD can exist in multiple conformations associated with the rotational conformational state of its 2B subdomain, and its helicase activity has been correlated with a closed 2B conformation. Using single-molecule total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy, we examined the rotational conformational states of the 2B subdomain of fluorescently labeled UvrD and their rates of interconversion. We find that the 2B subdomain of the UvrD monomer can rotate between an open and closed conformation as well as two highly populated intermediate states. The binding of a DNA substrate shifts the 2B conformation of a labeled UvrD monomer to a more open state that shows no helicase activity. The binding of a second unlabeled UvrD shifts the 2B conformation of the labeled UvrD to a more closed state resulting in activation of helicase activity. Binding of a monomer of the structurally similar Escherichia coli Rep helicase does not elicit this effect. This indicates that the helicase activity of a UvrD dimer is promoted via direct interactions between UvrD subunits that affect the rotational conformational state of its 2B subdomain.single molecule | conformational heterogeneity | DNA motors | DNA repair U vrD from Escherichia coli is a nonhexameric SF1A DNA helicase/translocase, structurally similar to E. coli Rep and Bacillus stearothermophilus PcrA, which is involved in many aspects of genome maintenance (1, 2), including DNA repair (3, 4), replication (5-8), and recombination (7, 9-11). Its ATPdependent activities include translocation along single-stranded (ss) DNA (12-16), duplex DNA unwinding (17-22), displacement of RecA filaments from ssDNA (10, 11), and pushing of proteins along ssDNA (23).The activities of UvrD can be modulated in vitro by its assembly state and/or by binding partners (1). UvrD monomers can translocate directionally (3′ to 5′) along ssDNA [∼190 nucleotides (nts) s −1 ] (12, 13, 15, 16), in a reaction that is tightly coupled to ATP hydrolysis (14). However, UvrD monomers show little helicase activity (12,16,21,24,25). In the absence of accessory proteins, helicase activity in vitro requires formation of a UvrD dimer (16,21,(25)(26)(27). The dimer unwinds dsDNA with rates of ∼70 base pair (bp) s −1 (20,21,24,27). Rep and PcrA monomers also show no helicase activity and require oligomerization or an accessory protein for helicase activity in vitro (28-31).UvrD, Rep, and PcrA all contain four subdomains (1A, 2A, 1B, and 2B) (2,(32)(33)(34)(35), and the 2B subdomain can undergo a substantial rotation about a hinge region connecting it to the 2A subdomain (2,22,(32)(33)(34)(35)(36)(37). A structure of an apo UvrD monome...