Penetration of bacteria into meat.
Bacteria are confined to the surface of meat during the logarithmic phase of growth. When proteolytic bacteria approach their maximum cell density, extracellular proteases secreted by the bacteria apparently break down the connective tissue between muscle fibers, allowing the bacteria to penetrate the meat. Non-proteolytic bacteria do not penetrate meat, even when grown in association with proteolytic species.
D000150:Acinetobacter / Q000502:physiology; D000192:Actinomycetales / Q000502:physiology*; D004755:Enterobacteriaceae / Q000502:physiology*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000502:physiology; D005516:Food Microbiology; D006088:Gram-Negative Aerobic Bacteria / Q000502:physiology*; D008460:Meat; D009068:Movement; D011551:Pseudomonas fluorescens / Q000502:physiology; D012486:Salmonella typhimurium / Q000502:physiology; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000502:physiology*; D013696:Temperature; D013997:Time Factors