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.

Spore autolysin (stage II sporulation); Evidence 1a: Function experimentally demonstrated in the studied strain; Product type cp: cell process.

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.

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.

SpoIIAA-phosphate serine phosphatase; Normally needed for pro-sigma E processing during sporulation but can be bypassed in vegetative cells. Activates SpoIIAA by dephosphorylation.

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.

Protease processing pro-sigma-E; Probable aspartic protease that is responsible for the proteolytic cleavage of the RNA polymerase sigma E factor (SigE/spoIIGB) to yield the active peptide in the mother cell during sporulation. Responds to a signal from the forespore that is triggered by the extracellular signal protein SpoIIR. Belongs to the peptidase U4 family.

Membrane protease and transmethylase; Cleaves type-4 fimbrial leader sequence and methylates the N- terminal (generally Phe) residue; Belongs to the peptidase A24 family.

RNA polymerase sporulation-specific sigma-29 factor (sigma-E); Sigma factors are initiation factors that promote the attachment of RNA polymerase to specific initiation sites and are then released. This sigma factor is responsible for the expression of sporulation specific genes.