[Effect of aggregate state, tonicity, and level of nutrients in media on recovery of Escherichia coli bacteria from heat damage].

The influence of aggregate condition, nutrient composition and tonicity of incubation medium on recovery from damages induced by heat at 52 degrees C Escherichia coli B/r and Escherichia coli BS-1 cells was studied. The cells were shown to be recovered from heat damages only in liquid and isotonic medium. The observed increase in a number of viable organisms was not greatly depended on source of energy, plastic material and macroelements of incubation medium. The recovered cells showed increase of osmotic tolerance to hyper- and hypotonic shock similar to intact cells. No increase in survivors was observed when heated cells were incubated on solid and/or anisotonic medium. The additional cell killing and high osmosensitivity may be seen in this case. The role of the system of osmotic homeostasis, including membrane state, in the modification of cell viability and osmoresistance of heated bacterial cells was discussed on the base of the data obtained.