Processivity is essential for cellulases in their catalysis of cellulose hydrolysis. But what drives the processive move is not well understood. In this work, we use Trichoderma reesei Cel7B as a model system and show that its processivity is directly correlated to the binding free energy difference of a cellulose chain occupying the binding sites -7 to +2 and that occupying sites -7 to -1. Several mutants that have stronger interactions with glycosyl units in sites +1 and +2 than the wild type enzyme show higher processivity. The results suggest that after the release of the product cellobiose located in sites +1 and +2, the enzyme pulls the cellulose chain to fill the vacant sites, which propels its processive move on the cellulose surface. (C) 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.