Calcofluor-white Calcofluor-white Calcofluor-white is a special fluorescent stain that binds strongly to structures containing cellulose and chitin. In plant cell biology research, it is used for the staining of cell walls of both algae and higher plants. It is also useful in medicine and animal biology for the identification of fungi in the tissue, (it binds to the chitin in the cell walls of the fungi). In research, calcofluor-white is also used to stain bud scars of yeast cells because the bud scars have a higher content of chitin, which stains them more than the rest of the cell membrane. Due
Xylanase Xylanase Xylanase (, "endo-(1->4)-beta-xylan 4-xylanohydrolase", "endo-1,4-xylanase", "endo-1,4-beta-xylanase", "beta-1,4-xylanase", "endo-1,4-beta-D-xylanase", "1,4-beta-xylan xylanohydrolase", "beta-xylanase", "beta-1,4-xylan xylanohydrolase", "beta-D-xylanase") is the name given to a class of enzymes which degrade the linear polysaccharide beta-1,4-xylan into xylose, thus breaking down hemicellulose, one of the major components of plant cell walls. As such, it plays a major role in micro-organisms thriving on plant sources for the degradation of plant matter into usable nutrients. Xylanases are produced by fungi, bacteria, yeast, marine algae, protozoans, snails, crustaceans, insect, seeds, etc., (mammals do not produce xylanases). However, the principal commercial source of xylanases is filamentous fungi. Commercial applications for