Final answer:
Autolysis is the process by which enzymes within a cell break down its own components including peptidoglycan chains in bacteria, leading to a loss of cell wall integrity.
Step-by-step explanation:
The process that involves autolysis breaking peptidoglycan chains is autolysis itself. This process occurs when enzymes within a cell break down components of the cell after it has died or been damaged. Particularly in bacteria, autolysis can affect the structural integrity of the cell wall by breaking down peptidoglycan chains, a crucial part of the bacterial cell wall. This is distinct from other processes such as glycosylation, transpeptidation, or the assembly of disaccharides-pentapeptide monomers, which are involved in the synthesis and modification of peptidoglycan but not its degradation through autolysis.