An electric alarm clock for spores

Inactive spores integrate stimuli over time through stored electrochemical potential To survive among complex and transient environmental conditions, biological systems have evolved sensitive mechanisms to not only integrate informative stimuli but to mount a decisive response. Sensing the onset of harsh conditions, spore-forming organisms, including bacteria and fungi, undergo energetically costly developmental reprogramming to enter dormant states that persist through a multitude of biological insults including nutrient deprivation, extreme heat, and desiccation. Notably, spores formed by bacteria such as Bacillus subtilis can remain in their dormant, metabolically inactive state for extended periods of time, potentially even hundreds of years. How can a dormant entity respond in a dynamic way to its environment and thus commit to resume biological activity and growth at an appropriate time? On page 43 of this issue, Kikuchi et al. ( 1 ) reveal that exit of B. subtilis spores from dormancy may be explained by electrochemical-state switching, similar to that used by neurons.