Cytology of spore germination in Clostridium pectinovorum

The process of spore germination in Clostridium pectinovorum has been followed by phase-contrast and electron microscopy. Unlike most other Bacillaceae, germination of this species takes place within the sporangium. Under phase-contrast, the spore darkens and swells slightly, and then the vegetative rod slips out through the end opposite the collar-like extension of the sporangium. In thin sections, a spore from an early stage in germination consists of a central protoplast, core membrane, germ cell wall, cortex, and two coats. Within a short period, the cortex disintegrates and the young cell develops. It possesses a large fibrillar nucleoplasm and several mesosomes. Subsequently, the young cell elongates, becomes somewhat deformed, and then emerges through a narrow aperture in the inflexible coats of the spore, finally rupturing the sporangium. Free vegetative cells of C. pectinovorum resemble in their structure other gram-positive rods.