Heat resistance of bacterial endospores and concept of an expanded osmoregulatory cortex

Abstract

The extreme resistance of bacterial endospores to heat may result from dehydration of the central protoplast brought about and maintained by osmotic activity of expanded electronegative peptidoglycan polymer, and positively charged counterions associated with it, in the surrounding cortex. The cortex may thus act as a specialised osmoregulatory organelle. Changes in the environment which would be expected reversibly to affect osmotic properties alter the heat resistance of spores.