The correct answer is Option (2) – Cellulase
- Lysozyme: This enzyme breaks down bacterial cell walls by hydrolyzing the bonds in peptidoglycan, which is a major component of bacterial cell walls. It is not effective against plant cell walls, which are composed mainly of cellulose.
- Cellulase: This enzyme specifically breaks down cellulose, a major component of plant cell walls. Cellulose is a complex carbohydrate that provides structural support to plant cells. By hydrolyzing the β-1,4-glycosidic bonds in cellulose, cellulase helps to break down the rigid cell walls of plants, releasing the cell contents.
- Protease: This enzyme breaks down proteins by hydrolyzing peptide bonds. While proteases are important for many biological processes, they do not break down cellulose and therefore are not used to degrade plant cell walls.
- Ribonuclease: This enzyme degrades RNA by hydrolyzing the phosphodiester bonds between nucleotides. It is not involved in breaking down cell walls, whether bacterial or plant.
Therefore, the correct answer is cellulase, as it is the enzyme that breaks down the cellulose in plant cell walls. |
