Purified by affinity chromotography. Zymolyase, produced by a submerged culture of Arthrobacter luteus (1), is an enzyme preparation which effectively lyses cell walls of viable yeast cells. An essential enzyme responsible for lysis of viable yeast cells in this preparation is b-1, 3-glucan laminaripentaohydrolase. It hydrolyzes linear glucose polymers with b-1,3-linkages and releases laminaripentaose specifically as the main and minimum product unit (4,5,10,11). This lytic activity releases spheroplasts and protoplasts in the preparation of yeast DNA prior to restriction enzyme digestion and Southern Blot analysis. The extent of lysis of yeast cells by Zymolyase varies with yeast strain, growth stage of yeast and cultural condition (6-8). Further information related to Zymolyase is obtained in the references below. Applications: Protoplast/Spheroplast Preparation Yeast Cell Fusion Yeast Cell Transformation