Development of ethanol tolerance in Clostridium thermocellum: effect of growth temperature.

The growth of Clostridium thermocellum ATCC 27405 and of C9, an ethanol-resistant mutant of this strain, at different ethanol concentrations and temperatures was characterized. After ethanol addition, cultures continued to grow for 1 to 2 h at rates similar to those observed before ethanol was added and then entered a period of growth arrest, the duration of which was a function of the age of inocula. After this period, cultures grew at an exponential rate that was a function of ethanol concentration. The wild-type strain showed a higher energy of activation for growth than the ethanol-tolerant derivative. The optimum growth temperature of the wild type decreased as the concentration of the ethanol challenge increased, whereas the optimum growth temperature for C9 remained constant. The results are discussed in terms of what is known about the effects of ethanol and temperature on membrane composition and fluidity.