Differing L-alanine germination requirements of hypochlorite-treated Clostridium botulinum spores from two crops

Similar populations of hypochlorite-treated spores were enumerated from two crops of Clostridium botulinum 12885A produced by the same procedure; however, germination required different L-alanine concentrations. Lactate permitted the germination of spores from both crops with suboptimal L-alanine concentrations. The data suggest that the spores differ slightly in chemical or structural composition.