Temperature-pH effect upon germination of bacterial spores.
Using several kinds of criteria for the germination of bacterial spores, germination-pH curves were drawn for Bacillus subtilis spores observed at different temperatures. The experiments revealed that optimum pH for spore germination was markedly changed by changing the incubation temperature; the optimum pH for germination was 7.4 at 37 degrees C and 5.4 at 10 degrees C. A possible mechanism involved in this phenomenon is discussed.
D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000254:growth & development*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D013171:Spores, Bacterial / Q000254:growth & development; D013696:Temperature