Catalase activity during the recovery of heat-stressed Staphylococcus aureus MF-31.

Sublethal heating of Staphylococcus aureus produced little loss of catalase activity, but incubation of the injured cells in tryptic soy broth, with or without 10% NaCl added, produced an 85% decrease in catalase activity. Cells recovered in tryptic soy broth demonstrated increases in catalase levels after approximately 5 h, whereas in tryptic soy broth with 10% NaCl the levels remained low for at least 12 h. Thus, the loss of catalase activity during the recovery period was greater than during the heat treatment.