▁This ▁activation ▁is ▁called ▁ph osph or el ay ▁and ▁involves ▁the ▁trans ference ▁of ▁ph osph ate ▁groups ▁from ▁ATP ▁through ▁hist id ine ▁kin ases ▁and ▁two ▁intermediate ▁prote ins , ▁Spo 0 F ▁and ▁Spo 0 B , ▁to ▁a ▁trans cription ▁factor , ▁Spo 0 A . ▁Spo 0 A - P ▁controls ▁the ▁expression ▁of ▁a ▁mult itude ▁of ▁gen es , ▁setting ▁off ▁a ▁chain ▁of ▁events ▁that ▁takes ▁several ▁hours ▁to ▁complete ▁and ▁cul min ates ▁in ▁the ▁release ▁of ▁the ▁m ature ▁sp ore ▁from ▁its ▁mother ▁cell ▁compart ment ▁( M ol le ▁et ▁al ., ▁ 2 0 0 3 , ▁Ve ening ▁et ▁al ., ▁ 2 0 0 9 ). ▁However , ▁the ▁ult imate ▁decision ▁to ▁sp or ulate ▁is ▁st ochastic ▁in ▁that ▁only ▁a ▁portion ▁of ▁the ▁population ▁sp or ul ates , ▁even ▁under ▁optimal ▁conditions ▁( Ch ast an et ▁et ▁al . ▁ 2 0 1 0 ). ▁ ▁The ▁sp ore ▁formation ▁process ▁( Fig . ▁ 2 ) ▁is ▁described ▁by ▁seven ▁stages . ▁Stage ▁I : ▁The ▁nuclear ▁material ▁is ▁dis posed ▁ax ial ly ▁into ▁fil aments . ▁ ▁Stage ▁II : ▁Comple tion ▁of ▁DNA ▁seg reg ation ▁occurs ▁concurrent ly ▁with ▁the ▁inv ag ination ▁of ▁the ▁pl asm atic ▁memb rane ▁in ▁an ▁asym metric ▁position , ▁near ▁one ▁pole ▁of ▁the ▁cell , ▁forming ▁a ▁sept um . ▁ ▁Stage ▁III : ▁The ▁sept um ▁begins ▁to