Fig. 4.

(A to C) Rates of DPA release from B. subtilis spores carrying the GerB* GR with or without GerD and germinating with multiple germinants and degrees of synergy when mixtures of germinants were used. Spores of B. subtilis strains (A, FB10 [has the GerB* GR]; B, PS3929 [has the GerB* GR and lacks GerD]) were germinated with various concentrations of l-valine and/or l-asparagine, and rates of DPA release were determined and are given in arbitrary units (au) as described in Materials and Methods. Symbols in panels A and B: ○, l-valine germination; ▵, germination with l-asparagine alone; □, experimental curve for germination with l-valine plus l-asparagine; •, sum of the rates with l-valine and l-asparagine germination alone. Symbols in panel C: •, FB10 spores; ○, PS3929 spores. Note that the FB10 spores used in this experiment were prepared separately from those used in the experiments shown in Fig. 2, 5, and 6.