Cell wall metabolism and autolytic activities of the yeast Saccharomyces exiguus.

Autolytic activities were measured in cell walls prepared from the yeast Saccharomyces exiguus. Walls of yeast cells exhibited higher autolytic activities directed toward glucans at the exponential phase of growth when compared to cells at the stationary phase, while glucanase activities in the soluble extract fraction were higher at the stationary phase when compared to exponential phase, suggesting an important role of cell wall glucanases in growth of the yeast cells. Yeast cell walls also exhibited a substantially high autolytic activity of glycoproteins containing mannose throughout growth. These results illustrate the diverse metabolism related to functions of yeast cell walls.