From Ashes to Life - The Indestructible D. radiodurans

Abstract

Deinococcus radiodurans (D. radiodurans) was accidentally discovered in 1956 when cans of ground meat were exposed to massive doses of ionizing gamma radiation, intended to kill dangerous bacteria. The bacterium can survive doses of radiation, even up to 1,000 times that which is deadly to humans. Among biologists and biophysicists, D. radiodurans is often humorously called “Conan the Bacterium.” This extreme radioresistance of the bacterium has been attributed to its ability to protect the proteome from ROS, which originates from water radiolysis, and also to carry out the effective repair of a large amount of DNA damage.