Assembly of the Bacterial Spore Coat .
Bacteria assemble complex structures by targeting proteins to specific subcellular locations.
The protein coat that encases Bacillus subtilis spores is an example of a structure that requires coordinated targeting and assembly of over 24 polypeptides. We have studied the action of three morphogenetic proteins that function during the earliest stages of coat assembly. Regulation of Gene Expression and the Control of Morphogenesis During Microbial Differentiation. As the bacterium Bacillus subtilis differentiates from the vegetative form into a dormant endospore, complex morphological and physiological changes occur that require the expression of many genes. During the process, new RNA polymerase sigma subunits appear, displacing one another and conferring on the RNA polymerase different specificities for the recognition of different classes of promoters.