Toxic Extracellular Enzymes

This Chapter describes the methods used for the assay, identification and determination of “toxic” action of extracellular enzymes of microbial (mainly fungal) and higher plant origin involved in plant pathogenesis. Methods used for the general characterization of an enzyme, such as its catalytic properties, molecular weight, amino acid composition, protein sequence analysis, have been omitted. A detailed account of the theoretical and practical aspects of enzyme characterization may be found in most biochemical textbooks (e.g., Segel 1975; Cornish-Bowden 1979; Page 1984; Darbre 1986; Franks 1988).