Abstract
The chemical structure of cell wall β-D-glucans as well as the activities of lytic enzymes such as β-1, 3-D-glucanase and β-1, 6-D-glucanase changed during the growth of Neurospora crassa.
A dramatic change in the cell wall β-D-glucan structure was observed between cells of the middle logarithmic phase and ones of the late logarithmic phase. The ratio of 1, 3-linked glucose residues to non reducing terminal glucose residues decreased from 85 to 55 and the ratio of gentiobiose as a hydrolysis product with exo-β, 3-D-glucanase increased significantly between the two phases.
Two prominent peaks of β-1, 3-D-glucanase as well as the β-1, 6-D-glucanase activities appeared in the culture filtrate at different growth stages, the early logarithmic phase and the stationary phase. In the cell wall, β-D-glucosidase activity instead of the β-1, 6-D-glucanase and β-1, 3-dglucanase activities was observed in the late logarithmic phase.
