Figure 1

Schematic of sporulation. Overview of the sporulation cycle. When vegetative cells encounter conditions of stress such as starvation the sporulation cycle is induced. Division of the vegetative cell occurs asymmetrically forming the mother cell and pre-spore, both containing a copy of the genome. Engulfment of the prespore occurs before the spore coat and cortex are laid down. Eventually the mother cell lyses to release the mature spore. Gene expression is controlled temporally by a subset of sigma factors in both the developing spore and mother cell. The location and time of sigma factor involvement is colour coded in this schematic.