Question

The rod shaped cells of Bacillus megatarium are converted to spherical units called protoplast on treatment with the enzyme

• A. lysozyme
• B. cellulose
• C. cellulase and hemicellulase
• D. cellulase, hemicellulase and pectinase

Answer 1

Answer: (A)

The cell wall of bacteria (Bacillus megatarium) is made up of peptidoglycan also called murein or mucopeptide. The enzyme lysozyme destroys the cell wall (by breaking $\beta 1,4$-glycosidic bonds between $N$-acetyl glucosamine and $N$-acetyl muramic acid in peptidoglycan) and release the protoplast, which is spherical in shape.
Cellulase enzyme digests the cellulose present in plant cell. Pectinase enzyme digests the pectin (galacturonic acid polymer) of plant.