Bacterial spore germination and protein mobility.

Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) of green fluorescent protein (GFP) has been used to report on protein mobility in single spores. Proteins found in dormant Bacillus spores are not mobile; however, mobility is restored when germination occurs and the core rehydrates. Spores of a cwlD mutant, in which the cortex is resistant to hydrolysis, are able to complete the earliest stages of germination in response to a specific germinant stimulus; in these circumstances, the protein in the spore remains immobile. Therefore, the earliest stages of spore germination, including loss of resistance to extreme heat and the complete release of the spore component dipicolinic acid, are achieved without the restoration of protein mobility.