The SpmA/B and DacF proteins of Clostridium perfringens play important roles in spore heat resistance.

Strains of Clostridium perfringens that cause acute food poisoning have been shown to produce spores that are significantly more heat resistant than those of other strains. Previous studies demonstrated that the spore core density and the ratio of spore cortex peptidoglycan relative to the germ cell wall were factors that correlated with the heat resistance of a C. perfringens spore.