Fish Microbiology and Quality Assurance

Unit 4 - Food preservation techniques and microorganisms

4.6. Endospores and formation of cell aggregates
Endospores are metabolically dormant stages observed in certain Gram positive bacteria as a survival strategy to overcome unfavourable environmental conditions. Spore forming bacteria are of significance in food industry because of their ablity to cause food spoilage and produce toxins which cause illness in humans. Among the bacteria, Clostridium botulinum, C. perfringens and Bacillus cereus are toxigenic while many species of spore formers cause spoilage of food.
Endospores are produced inside bacterial cell by members of Gram positive Bacillus, Clostridium, Desulfotomaculum, Sporolactobacillus and Sporosarcina. Spore formation also called as sporulation or sporogenesis is part of the natural life cycle of bacteria. Spores differ from metabolically active and growing vegetative cells by their inert resting condition. Endospores vary in size, shape and position in the vegetative cells in different bacteria and are often useful in the identification of some species.