Release of enzymes by normal and wall-free cells of Chlamydomonas

The phosphatase produced by the wild-type strain of Chlamydomonas reinhardi in media deprived of inorganic phosphate are found partly inside and partly outside the cells. The same enzymes are almost completely released by a mutant strain defective in cell wall formation. It is proposed that the failure of cell wall mutants to survive in certain conditions is related to their inability to retain certain essential compounds that are normally associated to the cell wall.