Deinococcus radiodurans, the only organism to withstand high radiation

Deinococcus radiodurans is considered to be the only creature with a strange ability: to restore the cracked genome to thousands of pieces. A group of French and Croatian researchers led by Miroslav Radman of the INSERM Institute (France) discovered the stages of this recovery that allowed the bacteria to resurrect after experiencing intense radiation.

Deinococcus radiodurans

Deinococcus radiodurans was discovered by a US researcher in 1956 when it intended to sterilize beef canned foods by shining a powerful gamma radiation. He was surprised to note that the bacterium does not die below this radiation level. Deinococcus radiodurans are able to withstand radiation levels hundreds of times higher than lethal doses.

The genome of Deinococcus radiodurans has a ring-shaped structure that is broken into thousands of pieces. The researchers noted that the cells seemed to die in about an hour and a half. However, three hours after the radiation was irradiated, its DNA was reassembled.

French researcher Miroslav and colleagues found that the restoration was divided into two phases. First, the cracked pieces remove all the broken ends and put together. The pieces are used as a template to create DNA synthesis and form a long string. Then there is the stage of gene re-coordination, which is connected to recreate the chromosomes.

Once the genome is restored to its original state, the synthesis of the active protein again: the cell is alive while it is considered to be 'clinically dead'.

Researchers hope this very primitive discovery will allow one day to come up with a new regenerative medicine industry, especially in the fight against the death of nerve cells.