Deinococcus Radiodurans

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Deinococcus Radiodurans

• Strange Berry that Withstands Radiation

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Classification

• Clade Actinomycate- D. radiodurans decomposes
  organic matter
• Strain R1
• Shape/Arrangement Coccus- spherical
• Four cells stick together, forming a tetrad

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Metabolism

• eXtremophilic
• Able to withstand harsh
• conditions such as cold,
• vacuum,
• dehydration and
• acid climates

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Habitat

• D. radiodurans natural habitat is not yet know
  because it has only been discovered recently
  (1956) and little is known about the bacterium.
• Strains of this bacteria have grown from meat,
  soil and fecal matter.

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Adaptations

• Polyextremophile- able to survive
• cold, vacuum, dehydration,
• and acid
  conditions
• It is also resistant to radiation,
  ultraviolet
• light, electrophilic agents,
• desiccation
• (extreme dryness) and oxidizing
• It does not form endospores
• Aerobic- uses oxygen for energy

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Disease-Causing????

• This bacteria does not
• cause disease and little is
• known about it because it is
• newly found

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Gram-??

• The cell stain is
  
• gram - positive
  but
• its cell wall is
• similar to
  that
• of a
• gram -
• negative
• bacteria

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FUNction and Impact on the Environment

• This bacteria has the ability to repair damaged
  DNA and small fragments from chromosomes by
  isolating damage segments in a concentrated area.
  This is because it has additional copies of its
  genome.
• Genes from other bacteria have been inserted into
  D. radiodurans for environmental clean up.
• Certain strains can be used to break down organic
  chemicals, solvents and heavy metals in
  radioactive waste sites.

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WOOOOOOW!!!!!!!!!!!

• The Guinness Book of World Records listed
  Deinococcus Radiodurans as the worlds toughest
  bacterium.
• D. radiodurans is able to withstand blasts of
  radiation thousands of times the force which will
  kill a human!
• In a laboratory setting a can of meat was exposed
  to radiation, thought to kill all life forms. The
  meat unexpectedly spoiled, and onto us,
  Deinococcus radiodurans was discovered.

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Bibliography

• http//www.genomenewsnetwork.org/articles/07_02/de
  inococcus.shtml
• http//bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/s2008/arnold_meag/P
  hylogeny.htm
• http//nar.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract
  /35/3/839
• 
  Angela St. Vrain