Spore germination comprises a series of partially overlapping biochemical and biophysical events – efflux of ions from the core, rehydration and IM reorganization, disassembly of cortex and coat – all of which appear to take place in the absence of de novo ATP and protein synthesis. These properties are maintained until the spore is stimulated to germinate, outgrow and form a new vegetative cell. All of these structures are characterized by unique morphological and/or structural features, which collectively confer metabolic dormancy and properties of environmental resistance to the quiescent spore.
From a simplified morphological perspective, the spore can be considered as comprising a central protoplast or core, that is, enveloped sequentially by an inner membrane (IM), a peptidoglycan cortex, an outer membrane, and a proteinaceous coat. 2Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdomīacteria belonging to the orders Bacillales and Clostridiales form spores in response to nutrient starvation.1Department of Molecular Biology and Biophysics, UConn Health, Farmington, CT, United States.