Autolysin required for complete dissolution of the asymmetric septum (stage II sporulation); May act at the level of sigma-G activity or its stability. SpoIID is probably required for engulfment.

Stage III sporulation ratchet engulfment protein; Involved in forespore engulfment. Forms a channel with SpoIIIAH that is open on the forespore end and closed (or gated) on the mother cell end. This allows sigma-E-directed gene expression in the mother-cell compartment of the sporangium to trigger the activation of sigma-G forespore-specific gene expression by a pathway of intercellular signaling.

Forespore protein required for alternative engulfment; Involved in forespore engulfment and required for anchoring membrane proteins on the forespore side of the septal membrane. Forms a channel with SpoIIIAH that is open on the forespore end and closed (or gated) on the mother cell end. This allows sigma-E-directed gene expression in the mother-cell compartment of the sporangium to trigger the activation of sigma-G forespore-specific gene expression by a pathway of intercellular signaling.

Spore endopeptidase; Initiates the degradation of small, acid-soluble proteins during spore germination.

Regulator of SpoIVFB (stage IV sporulation); Implicated in the coupling of mother cell to forespore gene expression. Required for spore formation at 37 degrees Celsius, but not at 30 degrees Celsius. SpoIVFA plays a central role in both maintaining the SpoIVFA/BofA/SpoIVFB complex and anchoring it to the outer forespore membrane. SpoIVFA brings BofA into close proximity to SpoIVFB, allowing BofA to inhibit SpoIVFB. Increased accumulation of SpoIVFA seems to inhibit the activity of SpoIVFB and thus regulates the activation of sigma-K.

pro-sigma(E) endopeptidase (stage II sporulation); Evidence 1a: Function experimentally demonstrated in the studied strain; Product type e: enzyme.

Stage III sporulation engulfment assembly protein; Evidence 1a: Function experimentally demonstrated in the studied strain; Product type cp: cell process.

Morphogenetic stage IV sporulation protein; ATPase. Has a role at an early stage in the morphogenesis of the spore coat outer layers. Its ATP hydrolysis is required for proper assembly of the spore coat. Forms a basement layer around the outside surface of the forespore and self-assembles irreversibly into higher order structures by binding and hydrolyzing ATP thus creating a durable and stable platform upon which thereafter morphogenesis of the coat can take place. Required for proper localization of spore coat protein CotE and sporulation-specific proteins including SpoVM.

Conserved hypothetical protein; Evidence 4: Homologs of previously reported genes of unknown function.