A structured mechanistic model of the kinetics of enzymatic lysis and disruption of yeast cells.

A structured, mechanistic model has been built for the kinetics of yeast cell lysis by microbial cell lytic enzymes, based on an understanding of the two-layer yeast cell wall structure and the properties of yeast-lytic enzyme systems. The model predicts the release of protein, peptides and carbohydrates from four cell structures: the outer and inner wall layers, the cytosol and organelles or proteins present in particles; it also predicts organelle or particle lysis or solubilization and the breakdown of released proteins to peptides. Applications of the model to design and optimization of selective product release are discussed.