Ultrastructure of the Cell Wall of Schizosaccharomyces pombe Following Treatment with Various Glucanases

• Published in: Journal of structural biology 1995-03, Vol.114 (2), p.140-152
• Main Authors: Kopecká, Marie, Fleet, Graham H., Phaff, Herman J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Actin Cytoskeleton - ultrastructure; beta-Glucosidase - metabolism; Cell Wall - chemistry; Cell Wall - ultrastructure; Glucan 1,3-beta-Glucosidase; Glucans - analysis; Glycoside Hydrolases - metabolism; Microscopy, Electron; Schizosaccharomyces - chemistry; Schizosaccharomyces - ultrastructure
• ISSN: 1047-8477; 1095-8657
• DOI: 10.1006/jsbi.1995.1013

The ultrastructure of isolated cell walls of Schizosaccharomyces pombe was studied by electron microscopy after treatment with the following purified enzymes: endo-β-(1 → 3)-glucanase, endo-β(1 → 6)-glucanase, and endo-α-(1 → 3)-glucanase produced by Bacillus circulans; exo-β-(1 → 3)-glucanase and endo-β-(1 → 3)-glucanase produced by Schizosaccharomyces japonicus var. versatilis . The exo-β-(1 → 3)-glucanase had no detectable effect on the walls, but amorphous wall material was removed by action of the endo-β-(1 → 3)- and endo-β-(1 → 6)-glucanases of B. circulans to reveal a wall component consisting of densely interwoven microfibrils. The fibrils were hydrolyzed by treatment with the Schiz. japonicus endo-β-(1 → 3)-glucanase followed by B. circulans endo-α(1 → 3)-glucanase—suggesting that they were composed of -β-(1 → 3)-linked glucan and α-(1 → 3)-linked glucan. The presence of a fibrillar component in untreated walls was evident after negative staining.