This Article Full Text (PDF) A correction has been published Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Dimmick, R. L. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Dimmick, R. L.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

J Bacteriol. 1965 March; 89(3): 791-798
Copyright © 1965 American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Rhythmic Response of Serratia marcescens to Elevated Temperature

Naval Biological Laboratory, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, California

ABSTRACT

DIMMICK, ROBERT L. (University of California, Berkeley). Rhythmic response of Serratia marcescens to elevated temperature. J. Bacteriol. 89:791–798. 1965.—Populations of Serratia marcescens of varied ages and pretreatments, which had been grown in a chemically defined medium, were subjected to thermal stress at 50 to 56 C. The numbers of survivors were plotted vs. time to form survivor curves, and the curves were assembled to form three-dimensional models. The manner in which survivors varied as a function of age and time of heating was variable and often rhythmic. Different three-dimensional patterns were found when different inoculum for the test culture was used. Apparently some "dead" cells again produced colonies after extended heating periods (recuperation); this tendency varied with the age of the culture. Diminutive colony forms, which produced normal colonies upon transfer, appeared and disappeared during heating; this tendency fluctuated with age. It is suggested that survivor curves represent a distribution of resistant forms within the population, and that this distribution varies in a manner best described in terms of servomechanistic response within each cell and within a given culture. Difficulties of attempting to relate changes in specific molecular species to subsequent whole-cell responses are discussed.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Shams, A. M., Rose, L. J., Hodges, L., Arduino, M. J. (2007). Survival of Burkholderia pseudomallei on Environmental Surfaces. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 73: 8001-8004 [Abstract] [Full Text]