Time of initiation of bacteriophage CP-51 RNA synthesis, inhibition of host DNA synthesis, initiation of CP-51 DNA synthesis, and release of phage was determined in infected Bacillus cereus cells and outgrowing spores harboring phage DNA. The development of phage in outgrowing spores is initiated 45 min after induction of spore germination and then proceeds at a rate similar to that observed in infected cells. Although spore RNA synthesis is inhibited by the presence of chloramphenicol or puromycin during germination, these antibiotics do not inhibit initiation of phage DNA transcription in outgrowing spores.

It appears that a de novo synthesis of the deoxyribonucleic acid-dependent ribonucleic acid-polymerase in Bacillus cereus T takes place fairly late in outgrowth, at the onset of the vegetative cycle. Therefore, the ribonucleic acid-polymerase used by germinating spores is the one carried on from sporulating cells. However, the sporal enzyme is less soluble that the vegetative one, and its "core" is bound to two extra peptides. This complexing to other molecules could play a role in the regulation of gene expression during germination.

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