Deinococcus radiodurans: what belongs to the survival kit?
Deinococcus radiodurans, one of the most radioresistant organisms known to date, is able to repair efficiently hundreds of DNA double- and single-strand breaks as well as other types of DNA damages promoted by ionizing or ultraviolet radiation. We review recent discoveries concerning several aspects of radioresistance and survival under high genotoxic stress. We discuss different hypotheses and possibilities that have been suggested to contribute to radioresistance and propose that D. radiodurans combines a variety of physiological tools that are tightly coordinated. A complex network of regulatory proteins may be discovered in the near future that might allow further understanding of radioresistance.
Institute of Veterinary Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Zurich-Irchel, Zurich, Switzerland.
Melanie
M
Blasius
Suzanne
S
Sommer
Ulrich
U
Hübscher
D004260:DNA Repair / Q000528:radiation effects; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000528:radiation effects; D034301:Deinococcus / Q000166:cytology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000528:radiation effects*; D003890:Desiccation; D016680:Genome, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics / Q000528:radiation effects; D050296:Microbial Viability / Q000528:radiation effects
D004269:DNA, Bacterial