Processive chitinase is Brownian monorail operated by fast catalysis after peeling rail from crystalline chitin

Abstract

Processive chitinase is a linear molecular motor which moves on the surface of crystalline chitin. Here authors use single-molecule imaging, X-ray crystallography and simulations on chitinase A (SmChiA) and show that Brownian motion along the single chitin chain is rectified forward by substrate-assisted catalysis.