Mode of action of lysozyme

Answer 1

Lysozyme disrupts the cell walls of gram positive bacteria. This type of bacteria contain a peptidoglycan covering that functions as a protective barrier. Lysozyme hydrolyzes the crosslinkages between chains of peptidoglycans. When these cross linkages are disrupted the cell can no longer protect itself from the outside environment. drazx is the original author of this answer

Answer 2

It is the composition of the Archaeal cell wall (consisting of pseudomurein in some species of archaea) that is unaffected by the enzymatic activity of the lysosyme. Lysozymes catalyze the hydrolysis of beta-1,4-bonds of N-acetylmuramic acid, which is a part of proteoglycans and glucosamineglycans in murein-containing bacterial cell walls. Lysosyme causes the cell wall of bacteria to weaken and may cause disruption/lysis of the cell membrane.However, it is not completely true that Archaeal cells are not at all affected by lysozyme, it has been shown in the paper by; T. G. Yudina et al. Microbiology, Vol. 73, No. 1, 2004, pp. 19-23. that "The results obtained allow the assumption that the crystal proteins [lysosyme] from B. thuringiensis affect the Archaeal CM [cell membrane] rather than the cell walls." further in the discussion they refer to enzymatic and non enzymatic antimicrobial actives performed by the lysozyme, the mechanism of the latter is unexplained (Nilsen, I.W et al. Protein Purification and Gene Isolation of Chlamysin, a Cold-Active Lysozymelike Enzyme with Antibacterial Activity, FEBS Lett.,1999, vol. 46, no. 1, pp. 153-158.)