Recent Progresses in Molecule Motors Driven by Enzymatic Reactions

It is traditionally assumed that enzymatic reaction does not perturb the diffusion of an enzyme itself. Recent studies showed that the diffusivity of enzymes increased in a substrate-dependent manner during catalysis. Thus, the energy released during enzyme catalysis could be used to propel nanoscale objects, e.g. molecule motors driven by enzymatic reactions. Although the dependence of enzyme diffusion on substrate has been reported in several different enzyme systems, the exact origin of this phenomenon is still unknown yet. However, several possible mechanisms were proposed for the enhanced diffusion. This review illustrates recent progress in the research on the influence of enzymatic reaction on the diffusivity of enzymes, including the change of diffusion coefficient of enzymes, potential mechanisms and related applications.

Graphical abstractEnzyme molecules can propel themselves by harnessing the energy released during enzymatic reactions, which can be used in the fields from biological delivery to the design of enzyme-powered smart nano-/micro-motors.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide