Ultrastructural investigations of enzyme treated cell wall material from industrial by-products.

Ultrastructural investigations of glycanase treatments of cell wall material from industrial by-products was carried out with the enzyme-thiocarbohydrazide-silver protein technique (ETAg). Driselase, gamanase and an experimental enzyme preparation were used. Car­ bohydrate hydrolysis was found in cell walls and cell contents in 1-2 cell layers at the surface of 0.2 mm plant particles. Enzyme activity was detected to some extend inside unlignified and lignified cell walls. The absence of any reaction in some sublayers of the cell wall was indicative for, either the absence of polysaccharide substrate or a very tied interaction of cell wall components preventing enzymic activity or the absence of typical enzymes in crude preparations. The ETAg-technique can be usefull to provide information about structural limitations of poorly degradable plant materials.