TABLE 1.
Heat activation temperature optima for germination of dormant and superdormant spores of Bacillus species with various germinantsa
| Species | Heat activation temp optimum (°C)b
|
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Original germinant
|
Alternate germinant
|
Mixture
|
||||
| D | SD | D | SD | D | SD | |
| B. cereus | 65 (95) | 75 (75) | 65 (40) | 75 (30) | 55 (98) | 70 (97) |
| B. megaterium | 60 (97) | 75 (75) | 60 (91) | 70 (70) | 55 (95) | 65 (87) |
| B. subtilis | 75 (95) | 82.5 (65) | 75 (80) | 87.5 (50) | 70 (97) | 82.5 (94) |
a
Dormant (D) and superdormant (SD) spores of Bacillus species were heat activated at various temperatures; cooled on ice; and germinated with the original germinants, alternate germinants, or a mixture of the original and alternate germinants, and the heat activation temperatures giving maximum extents of germination after 2 h were determined as described in Materials and Methods.
b
Values in parentheses are the extent (%) of spore germination after 2 h as determined by phase-contrast microscopy as described in Materials and Methods.