The SCO3388 gene from Streptomyces coelicolor is homologous to tmrB, the tunicamycin resistance gene of Bacillus subtilis. The SCO3388-inactivation strain (SY-tbl-1) was generated by replacing SCO3388 with thiostrepton resistance gene. Spores of S. coelicolor derivatives were prepared on mannitol-soy flour (MS) agar on which SY-tbl-1 displayed no significant defect in growth and development. When plated on R4 agar, spores of SYtbl-1 displayed retardation in growth and sporulation, whereas its mycelium gave rise to normal growth. Thus, SCO3388 is suggested to be involved in the dormant spore germination. Expression of SCO3388 under the ermE1 promoter restored but only partially the ability to sporulate in SY-tbl-1. Neither SY-tbl-1 nor SY-tbl-1/ermE1p-SCO3388 showed a difference in tunicamycin resistance to the wild type whereas, interestingly, the introduction of ermE1p-SCO3388 dramatically enhanced spore survival to heat and detergent treatments, suggesting that SCO3388 might play a role in the maintenance of spore cell wall integrity.