Table 1.

Effect of various Tb³⁺ concentrations on the dodecylamine germination of intact and decoated C. perfringens spores^a

Tb3+ concn (μM)	% spore germination in 2.5 h
	Intact spores	Decoated spores
0	100	100
50	100	56
500	92	32
2,500	83	21

^aIntact and chemically decoated spores of C. perfringens were germinated with dodecylamine plus various TbCl₃ concentrations, and the extent of germination was assessed by monitoring DPA release fluorometrically as described in the text. Use of 2.5 mM TbCl₃ in the fluorometric DPA assay did not alter the fluorescence compared to that with the standard 50 μM TbCl₃ normally present.