A proposed mechanism of thermophily in facultative thermophiles

Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase in crude extracts of Bacillus coagulans KU, a facultative thermophile, showed marked thermolability whether the cells were grown at mesophilic or thermophilic temperature. When extracts were brought to a given ionic strength by the addition of salt and then heat treated, it was possible to confer heat resistance well in excess of the thermophilic growth temperature. Disc electrophoresis is indicative that portions of the profiles are quite different between extracts of cells grown at 37° and 55°. Based on the data, a mechanism of thermophily is postulated that is different from any thus far proposed for thermophilic microorganisms.