The gerC locus of Bacillus subtilis, required for menaquinone biosynthesis, is concerned only indirectly with spore germination.

The gerC region of Bacillus subtilis comprises a tricistronic operon, encoding enzymes that catalyse the late stages of menaquinone biosynthesis. The gerC58 mutation is responsible for a severe growth defect; unsuppressed mutant cells grow as very short rods, which sometimes septate aberrantly. Cultures grow only to a low cell density, rapidly lose viability, and never sporulate.