INDUCTION OF CELLULASE IN FUNGI BY CELLOBIOSE

Abstract

Cellulase is an adaptive enzyme in fungi. The inducing substrate, cellulose, is insoluble. How then does the induction occur? It is possible that soluble products of enzyme action are the natural inducers of the enzymes that attack insoluble substrates. This theory assumes that small amounts of the inducible en-zymes are produced even in the absence of in-ducer. When substrate is present it is hydrolyzed, the soluble products then enter the cell and in-duce more enzyme. Examples of products acting as inducers of polysaccharases have been cited in a previous paper (AMandels and Reese, 1957), and cellobiose can act as an inducei of cellulase (Mandels and Reese, 1957; Talboys, 1958). How-