Single-stranded DNA-dependent ATP-dependent helicase. Has a role in chromosome translocation. The DNA helicase II complex binds preferentially to fork-like ends of double-stranded DNA in a cell cycle-dependent manner. It works in the 3'-5' direction. Binding to DNA may be mediated by XRCC6. Involved in DNA non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) required for double-strand break repair and V(D)J recombination. The XRCC5,6 dimer acts as regulatory subunit of the DNA-dependent protein kinase complex DNA-PK by increasing the affinity of the catalytic subunit PRKDC to DNA by 100-fold. The XRCC5,6 dimer is probably involved in stabilizing broken DNA ends and bringing th together. The assbly of the DNA-PK complex to DNA ends is required for the NHEJ ligation step. In association with NAA15, the XRCC5,6 dimer binds to the osteocalcin promoter and activates osteocalcin expression. The XRCC5,6 dimer probably also acts as a 5'-deoxyribose-5-phosphate lyase (5'-dRP lyase), by catalyzing the beta-elimination of the 5' deoxyribose-5-phosphate at an abasic site near double-strand breaks. XRCC5 probably acts as the catalytic subunit of 5'-dRP activity, and allows to 'clean' the termini of abasic sites, a class of nucleotide damage commonly associated with strand breaks, before such broken ends can be joined. The XRCC5,6 dimer together with APEX1 acts as a negative regulator of transcription.