Growth Factor and Temperature Requirement

A. Growth Factors
• Organic substances required by organisms in addition to carbon and energy sources
• Substances that the cells are incapable of synthesizing from their principal nutrients but are needed for synthesis
of various cell components
• Examples: amino acids – for enzymes and proteins
Vitamins – required to supplement enzymes by acting as coenzymes
• Although significant, these are needed by bacteria in relatively small amount compared to other major
constituents. Coenzymes, by contrast, are loosely bound to enzymes,and a single coenzyme molecule may associate with a
number of different enzymes.
Test for Growth Factor Requirement
• Make use of culture media with and without yeast extract
• Yeast extract – obtained by aqueous extraction of autolyzed brewer’s yeast ; has a high B-vitamin content

Growth on medium with YE Growth on medium without Interpretation

YE
+ + No growth factor requirement
+ - Requires growth factor

B. Temperature Requirement
• Temperature is one of the most important factors influencing the activity of bacterial enzymes. These enzyme
systems are directly affected by ambient temperature. range for any given organism is typically less than 40°C;
e.g. E.coli: min = 8, max = 48
Three Cardinal Temperatures
1. Minimum – lowest temperature at which an organism can grow
2. Optimum – most rapid growth is observed; may not be the optimum for all cell activities
3. Maximum – highest temperature at which growth can take place

The growth temperature optimum reflects a state in which all or most cellular components are functioning at their
maximum rate. The cytoplasmic membrane must remain ina semifluid
state for nutrient transport and bioenergetic functions to
Types of Microorganisms based on Optimum Temperature for Growth take place. That is, if an organism's cytoplasmic
1. Mesophiles – grow between 10 °C and 47 °C membrane stiffens to the point that it no longer functions
2. Psychrophiles – able to grow between 0 °C and 5 °C properly in transport or can no longer develop or consume
3. Thermophiles – grow at temperature above 50 °C a proton motiveforce, the organism cannot grow.

Psychrophiles and thermophiles are further subdivided into obligate and facultative groups. Obligate psychrophiles
seldom grow above 22 °C; facultative psychrophiles (also referred to as psychrotrophs) grow very well above 25 °C;
obligate thermophiles thrive only at temperatures above 50 °C and not below 40 °C; facultative thermophiles are
thermophiles that can grow at temperatures below 40 °C.
Cold-active enzymes: alpha-helix > beta-sheet secondary structure; greater polar and lesser hydrophobic amino acid content; lower no. of
weak bonds e.g. H and ionic -> greater flexibility; CM contains a higher content of unsaturated and shorter-chain fatty acids; presence of
cold-shock proteins and cryoprotectants
Heat-active enzymes: solutes such as di-inositol phosphate, diglycerol phosphate,and mannosylglycerate; no FA in their membranes but
have C40 HCs composed of repeating units of isoprene bonded by ether linkage to glycerol phosphate

Common growth factors include the vitamins, but amino acids, purines,pyrimidines, or various other organic molecules may be growth factors for one or
another microorganism. Vitamins are the most commonly required growth factors. Most vitamins function as coenzymes,which are nonprotein components of
enzymes.Vitamin requirements vary among microorganisms, ranging from none to several. Lactic acid bacteria, which include the genera Streptococcus,
Lactobacillus, and Leuconostoc, are notorious for their many vitamin requirements, which areeven more extensive than those of humans