Coleoptile growth‐inducing capacities of exo‐β‐(1→3)‐glucanases from fungi

An exo‐β‐(1β3)‐glucanase derived from Selerotinia libertiana induced growth of Avena sativa coleoptiles and degraded hemicelluloses and β‐(1→4):(1→3) mixed linked glucan. However, neither endo‐β‐(1→4)‐ nor endo‐β‐(1→3)‐glucanase activity could be detected in the enzyme preparation. Nojirimycin inhibited the glucan degradation caused by the enzyme but glucono‐1,5‐lactone did not. Another exo‐β‐(1→3)‐glucanase derived from Basidiomycete QM 806 did not induce coleoptile growth and did not degrade the glucan. Growth‐inducing properties of exo‐β‐(1→3)‐glucanases are discussed.