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Radiation Resistance in Extremophiles: Fending Off Multiple Attacks

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Polyextremophiles

Part of the book series: Cellular Origin, Life in Extreme Habitats and Astrobiology ((COLE,volume 27))

Abstract

Ionizing radiation (IR) is of particular interest in biology because its exposure results in a severe oxidative stress to all the cell’s macromolecules. Many extremophiles are found to be resistant to IR, suggesting that radiation resistance is a fortuitous consequence of a high tolerance to other environmental stressors (e.g., desiccation). In that regard, IR-resistant organisms are true polyextremophiles. It is now established that proteins are the major targets of radiation and that protection against protein oxidation is an essential process for survival from IR exposure. The IR resistance found in the halophilic archaeon, Halobacterium salinarum, is attributed to high intracellular concentrations of Mn antioxidant complexes that protect proteins against IR-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS). The variety of Mn antioxidant complexes found so far, and the potential for compatible solutes from extremophiles to provide ROS-scavenging activity in the cell, suggests that the adaptations of extremophiles to their environments provide a tremendous reservoir for novel radioprotective molecules and antioxidants against the deleterious effect of IR.

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Acknowledgment

This work was possible with the support of AFOSR (grant FA95500710158) to J.D.

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  1. Department of Biology, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA

    Kimberly M. Webb & Jocelyne DiRuggiero

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  1. Kimberly M. Webb
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  2. Jocelyne DiRuggiero
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Correspondence to Kimberly M. Webb .

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  1. The Hebrew Univ. of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel

    Joseph Seckbach

  2. Dept. of Plant and Env. Sciences, Institute of Life Sciences The Hebrew Univ. of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel

    Aharon Oren

  3. Dept. Mikrobiology, Universität Salzburg FB Molekulare Biologie, Salzburg, Austria

    Helga Stan-Lotter

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Webb, K.M., DiRuggiero, J. (2013). Radiation Resistance in Extremophiles: Fending Off Multiple Attacks. In: Seckbach, J., Oren, A., Stan-Lotter, H. (eds) Polyextremophiles. Cellular Origin, Life in Extreme Habitats and Astrobiology, vol 27. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6488-0_10

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