Bacterial Spore Germination

Somespecies of the orders Bacillales and Clostridiales can generate spores in sporulation when environments are not conducive to growth. Formed spores are metabolically dormant and can survive for years under harsh conditions, but return to life within minutes in the process of germination when triggered by chemical agents. Some new mechanisms has been have been identified during spore germination, including dipicolinic acid (DPA) leakage and spore germination memory, but the precise molecular details of the signal transduction process remain to be identified. The review focused on the mechanism of DPA leakage and spore germination memory and hypothesis for the future investigation.