Death rate of populations of Bact. lactis aerogenes . I. Active adjustment of cells to adverse environments

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Abstract
Survivor-time curves have been determined for cultures of Bact. lactis aerogenes exposed to various concentrations of 2: 8-diaminoacridine, m-cresol or acid. Usually a small residue of the population shows a much greater apparent resistance (smaller death rate) than the bulk. Selection and subculture of these survivors show them not to be mutants with inheritable resistance, nor even stably adapted cells. That, however, temporary adjustments of a more limited nature occur during the actual test and increase the survival time of certain cells is suggested by the following facts: (a) the relative proportion of abnormally resistant survivors increases as the concentration of the lethal agent falls and the time scale of the test is thereby extended, (b) the proportion of longer lived cells is greater when glucose and oxygen are present in the medium to support active metabolic changes.

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