Growth and Metabolic Activities of Heat Treated Staphylococcus aureus

Staphylococcus aureus cells which had been heated at 50 or 60° were transferred to various growth media and intracellular ribonucleic acid (RNA), deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and amino acids were measured during the lag phase of growth. The duration of the lag phase depended on the temperature to which the cultures had been subjected, and was longest following storage at 60°. RNA synthesis occurred almost immediately on placing treated cells in a growth medium, but at a slower rate than with unheated cells. Variation in the composition of the metabolic pool of heated cells occurred during the early lag phase and may be as a result of damage to the cytoplasmic membrane with resulting loss of permeability control.