Catalytic enzymes are active matter.

Area of Science:

• Biophysics
• Chemical Physics
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Enzymes are traditionally viewed as catalysts, separate from motility.
• Classical models do not account for enzyme motion driven by catalytic activity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the physical nature of enzyme activity beyond catalysis.
• To determine if enzyme catalysis influences enzyme motion and explore potential coupling mechanisms.

Main Methods:

• Microscopic theory combined with superresolution fluorescence microscopy.
• Experiments conducted across four orders of magnitude of substrate concentration, focusing on the Michaelis-Menten constant regime.
• Analysis of enzyme trajectories and motion characteristics.

Main Results:

• Enzyme catalysis induces superdiffusive motion for short durations (microseconds).
• Catalysis enhances effective enzyme diffusivity over longer timescales.
• Enzymes exhibit antichemotaxis, moving away from substrate-rich regions.
• Catalysis generates piconewton forces and performs work against viscosity.

Conclusions:

• Enzymes function as active matter, coupling chemical reactions with motility.
• Findings challenge the distinct separation of reaction and motion in classical enzyme kinetics.
• Reaction-motion coupling may be a general principle in catalysis with significant biological and technological implications.