Nonequilibrium theory of enzyme chemotaxis and enhanced diffusion

TL;DR

This paper presents a new non-equilibrium theoretical framework explaining enzyme enhanced diffusion and chemotaxis phenomena, unifying existing observations and predicting novel effects like dissipation-induced behavioral switches.

Contribution

It introduces a comprehensive non-equilibrium theory for enzyme chemotaxis and diffusion, explaining past results and predicting new behaviors based on catalytic cycle dynamics.

Findings

Explains observed enzyme enhanced diffusion and anti-chemotaxis.

Predicts dissipation-induced switch between chemotactic and anti-chemotactic behavior.

Provides a unified theoretical understanding of enzyme transport phenomena.

Abstract

Enhanced diffusion and anti-chemotaxis of enzymes have been reported in several experiments in the last decade, opening up entirely new avenues of research in the bio-nanosciences both at the applied and fundamental level. Here, we introduce a novel theoretical framework, rooted in non-equilibrium effects characteristic of catalytic cycles, that explains all observations made so far in this field. In addition, our theory predicts entirely novel effects, such as dissipation-induced switch between anti-chemotactic and chemotactic behavior.