Factors influencing the survival and revival of heat-treated Escherichia coli

Abstract

Maximal revival of heat-damaged Escherichia coli occurred in nutrient media containing 0.8 to 1.0% (w/v) of Difco yeast extract. Vitamins did not appear to be involved in the recovery process. The situation with amino acids was less clear-cut, and, although certain of these may be essential for revival, proof for this is as yet inconclusive. Replica plating, in which colonies (from cells which had survived a heating process) on a rich medium were replicated onto minimal agar, revealed that no auxotrophic mutants had been formed as a result of heat treatment. Bacteria which were heated in 1% (w/v) yeast extract were killed more slowly than those heated in water.