Chitinase as 'burnt-bridge' Brownian monorail efficiently hydrolyzing recalcitrant biomass

Serratia marcescens Chitinase A (SmChiA) is a molecular motor efficiently hydrolyzing recalcitrant crystalline chitin by moving on the surface processively. By using gold-nanoparticle probe, researchers revealed 1-nm stepping motion of SmChiA rectified forward by fast catalysis. X-ray crystallography and molecular dynamics simulation also revealed that motion of SmChiA is driven by the Brownian motion. The results show SmChiA is 'burnt-bridge' Brownian ratchet monorail, and give an insight to design engineered and artificial molecular motors.