Degradation of cell wall material from unprotected and systemically protected cucumber plants by extracellular enzymes of Colletotrichum lagenarium

Pectic and hemicellulosic-rich fractions were isolated from cell walls of untreated susceptible cucumber plants and of plants in which resistance had been induced systemically by prior inoculation of lower leaves with Colletotrichum lagenarium , 9 days before extraction. Filtrates from cultures of C. lagenarium contained enzymes which degraded pectin, sodium polypectate, xylan, araban and carboxymethylcellulose. These extracellular enzymes also degraded pectic and hemicellulosic fractions from susceptible and resistant plants; degradation products were similar quantitatively and qualitatively.