Oligoglucuronide production in Mucor rouxii: evidence for a role for endohydrolases in hyphal extension.

Culture filtrates of Mucor rouxii contained oligomers of glucuronic acid which were labeled rapidly during pulses with D-[U-14C]glucose. These oligomers were probably derived by enzymatic lysis of acidic polymers in the cell wall. The kinetics of the incorporation of label into oligouronides and cell wall polymers suggested that lysis of the wall was required for active hyphal extension. Experiments with cycloheximide, which inhibited hyphal extension, suggested that wall lysis was also required for the subapical cell wall synthesis which probably occurred under these conditions.