Abstract
Methylobacterium extorquens AM1 growing on methanol as a sole source of carbon and energy was found to grow most rapidly (t$t_{d}$ =6h) at 30.deg.C in a mineral medium (pH 7.0) containing 0.5% (v/v) methanol which was agitated at 200 rpm (optimal cultivation condition). Cells grown under the optimal cultivation condition contained more spermidine, but less putrescine, than the cells grown on 2.5%(v/v) ( $t_{d}$ =8h ) or at 20.deg.C ( $t_{d}$ =8h ). Cells cultivated under the optimal condition was found to contain more spermidine than the cells grown at pH 6.0 (( $t_{d}$ =7h ) and pH 8.0 ($t_{d}$ =7.3h). the cells growing at the stationary phase under the optimal condition accumulated more spermine or putrescine than the cells growing at the same phase on 2.5%(v/v) methanol or at pH 6.0 and pH 8.0, respectively. M. extorquens AM1 grown in a medium agitated at 100 rpm ( $t_{d}$ =8.8h ) contained less spermidine and spermine than the cells grown under the optimal cultivation condition.