Polyamine levels during growth, sporulation, and spore germination of Bacillus megaterium.

Spermidine was the major (>95%) polyamine of Bacillus megaterium in all stages of growth, although it could be replaced completely by spermine. Log-phase cells had 40 to 50% as much spermidine, based on ribonucleic acid (RNA) content, as did either stationary-phase cells or dormant spores; similar results were obtained in three other bacilli including an asporogenous mutant. Polyamine levels were essentially the same in B. megaterium grown in rich or poor media, or in media of high or low ionic strength. Polyamine levels were elevated three- to sixfold by exogenous spermidine without a major effect on growth, sporulation, or subsequent spore germination. During germination, the absolute amount of spermidine remained constant for almost 2 h until net RNA synthesis had lowered the polyamine/RNA ratio to a value close to that in log-phase cells. At this time, the spermidine level began to rise, and thereafter spermidine and RNA increased in parallel. This parallel relationship between the spermidine and RNA levels was abolished by actinomycin D, but not by chloramphenicol.