What Hydrolytic Enzymes Are Found in Vacuoles in Plant Cells?

Hydrolytic Enzymes

• In biochemistry, an enzyme is a substance that serves as a catalyst for activity or reactions. A hydrolytic enzyme speeds up the process of hydrolysis. Hydrolysis involves breaking down compounds into fragments. In plants (and animals), hydrolytic enzymes decompose a variety of substances including proteins, fats and carbohydrates. In many instances, this means that hydrolytic enzymes are digestive enzymes.

Vacuole

• Vacuoles are considered to be organelles. Organelles are specialized structures within cells that carry on specific functions. In addition to vacuoles, organelles include other structures such as the nucleus and mitochondria. However, unlike with some organelles where there is only one of its kind in each cell, vacuoles generally occur in multiples, with each vacuole serving a different purpose.

  In plant cells, while there may be other tiny vacuoles present, usually one large vacuole takes up about 80 percent of the cell's volume. In addition to facilitating cell expansion, serving as a storage unit for nutrients and a temporary depository for waste, vacuoles contain hydrolytic enzymes. Some of the hydrolytic enzymes found in plant vacuoles include proteinase, nuclease and phosphatase.

Proteinase

• Proteinase is also called proteolytic enzyme and protease. It is an enzyme that breaks down peptides. Peptides are organic compounds made of groups of oxygen, carbon and other elements linked together. These linked groups of elements are called amino acids.

  Peptides come in various forms depending on the configuration and size of the amino acid links. While substances such as certain hormones are peptides, the most widely known peptide is protein. Protein is a large peptide configuration called a polypeptide. Proteinase decomposes proteins and other peptides into their basic components -- amino acids -- so they can be used more efficiently by the plant.

Nuclease

• Nuclease is an enzyme that splits nucleic acids into subunits. Nucleic acids come in the form of ribonucleic acid (RNA) and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), which work together in creating and transmitting genetic information.

Phosphatase

• Phosphatase breaks down esters of phosphoric acid. Phosphoric acid is a compound made of phosphorus, hydrogen and oxygen. An ester of phosphoric acid is a substance created by combining phosphoric acid with an alcohol. Phosphatases assist in metabolism and nutrient absorption.