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Extraction and Partial Characterization of Cellulases from Expanding Pea Epicotyls

Paul G. Arnison^b

^a Department of Agronomy, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, ^b Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Etiolated pea (Pisum sativum) epicotyls synthesize a buffer-soluble cellulase (cellulase A) and a salt-soluble cellulase (cellulase B) (EC 3.2.1.4) after treatment with high (0.5%) auxin levels. Only cellulase A increased in activity after treatment with low (0.005%) auxin. Cellulase A was released into the supernatant after homogenization of tissue in dilute buffer (buffer-soluble), had a pH optimum at 5.5, was relatively thermostable, and its activity was inhibited by NaCl. Cellulase B was released by 1 M NaCl (salt-soluble) from excised tissue segments or from the insoluble residue remaining after removal of the buffer-soluble form. It had a pH optimum at 7.0, was thermolabile, and required salt for maximum activity. When subjected to polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, the cellulase fraction released by NaCl from excised segments showed two bands of cellulase activity compared to several for the buffer-soluble fraction. Electrophoretic analysis of the buffer and salt-soluble fractions for marker enzymes indicated the presence of malate dehydrogenase activity in all fractions and glutamate dehydrogenase activity in the buffer-soluble fraction only.

Exposure of intact pea epicotyls to 70 µl/l of ethylene gas for 3 days did not affect cellulase A activity, but caused a 5-fold increase in cellulase B activity (enzyme released by salt from the buffer-insoluble residue). We concluded that ethylene and auxin generate different forms of cellulase.