Identification of Polysaccharide Hydrolases Involved in Autolytic Degradation of Zea Cell Walls

Cell walls of Zea mays (cv L.G.11) seedlings labeled with (14)C were treated with alpha-amylase from Bacillus subtilis to remove starch and mixed linkage glucans. These walls released arabinose, xylose, galactose, and galacturonic acid in addition to glucose when they were allowed to autolyze. Methylation analysis was performed on samples of wall which had been incubated autolytically and the results indicated that degradation of the major polymer of the wall, the glucoarabinoxylan, had occurred. A number of glycanases could be dissociated from the wall by use of 3 m LiCL. The proteins which were released were found to contain a number of exoglycosidase activities in addition to being effective in degrading the polysaccharide substrates, araban, xylan, galactan, laminarin, mannan, and polygalacturonic acid. The effects of these enzymes on the wall during autolysis appear to result from endo-activity in addition to exo-activity. The structural changes that occurred in the cell walls during autolysis were found to be related to the changes previously found to occur in cell walls during auxin induced extension.