TABLE 5.

Germination of spores of strains with different gerD genes in various locations^a

Strain	Relevant genotypeb	Relative rate of spore germinationc with:
		L-Alanine	AGFK
PS3980	ΔgerD	≤8	≤8
PS3981	Wild type	100	100
PS3982	gerDC20A	≤8	≤4
PS3983	gerDΔSP	≤8	≤4
PS3987	ΔgerD amyE::gerD	105	85
PS3988	ΔgerD amyE::PsspB-gerD	105	85
PS3989	amyE::gerD	95	95
PS3990	amyE::PsspB-gerD	100	95
PS3991	amyE::gerDC20	105	110
PS3992	amyE::gerDΔ7-15	100	110
PS3993	gerDC20AamyE::gerD	105	105
PS3994	gerDC20AamyE::PsspB-gerD	100	110
PS3995	gerDΔSPamyE::gerD	100	95
PS3996	gerDΔSPamyE::PsspB-gerD	105	80

^aSpores prepared at 37°C on 2× SG plates were germinated using the alternative conditions with either L-alanine or AGFK, and the rates of spore germination were determined by measuring the rate of DPA release as described in Materials and Methods. All values reported are the averages of results with two preparations of spores and have been rounded off to the nearest 5, except for values less than 10.

^bThe abbreviation ΔSP denotes a gerD gene lacking the region coding for amino acids 7 to 17, which is a likely SP.

^cAll values are expressed relative to that for spores of strain PS3981, which was set at 100.