  To survive starvation, Bacillus subtilis forms durable spores. After
asymmetric cell division, the septum grows around the forespore in a process
called engulfment, but the mechanism of force generation is unknown. Here, we
derived a novel biophysical model for the dynamics of cell-wall remodeling
during engulfment based on a balancing of dissipative, active, and mechanical
forces. By plotting phase diagrams, we predict that sporulation is promoted by
a line tension from the attachment of the septum to the outer cell wall, as
well as by an imbalance in turgor pressures in the mother-cell and forespore
compartments. We also predict that significant mother-cell growth hinders
engulfment. Hence, relatively simple physical principles may guide this complex
biological process.
