Fig 4. Germination of wild-type and gerW B. megaterium spores with various germinants.

B. megaterium spores were germinated in 5 mM Tris-HCl, pH 7.8 plus (A) 10 mM glucose, (B) 10 mM proline, (C) 60 mM CaDPA, or (D) 1 mM dodecylamine. Spores were heat shocked at 60°C for 10 min prior to incubation in glucose or proline-supplemented germination buffer, but not for CaDPA or dodecylamine germination, and the progress of spore germination was monitored as described in Methods. Symbols used are: (◯), wild type spores; and (■), gerW spores.