Abstract
All theories related to the evolution of Deinococcus radiodurans have a common denominator: the strong positive correlation between ionizing-radiation resistance and desiccation tolerance. Currently, the widespread hypothesis is that D. radiodurans’ ionizing-radiation resistance is a consequence of this organism’s adaptation to desiccation (desiccation adaptation hypothesis). Here, we draw attention to major discrepancy that has emerged between the “desiccation adaptation hypothesis” and recent findings in computational biology, experimental research, and terrestrial subsurface surveys. We explain why the alternative hypothesis, suggesting that D. radiodurans’ desiccation tolerance could be a consequence of this organism’s adaptation to ionizing radiation (radiation adaptation hypothesis), should be considered on equal basis with the “desiccation adaptation hypothesis”.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
References
Battista JR, Park MJ, McLemore AE (2001) Inactivation of two homologs of proteins presumed to be involved in the desiccation tolerance of plants sensitizes Deinococcus radiodurans R1 to desiccation. Cryobiology 43:133–139
Battistuzzi FU, Feijao A, Hedges SB (2004) A genomic timescale of prokaryote evolution: insights into the origin of methanogenesis, phototrophy, and the colonization of land. BMC Evol Biol 4:44
Cavalier-Smith T (2006) Rooting the tree of life by transition analyses. Biol Direct 1:19
Clarke GD, Beiko RG, Ragan MA, Charlebois RL (2002) Inferring genome trees by using a filter to eliminate phylogenetically discordant sequences and a distance matrix based on mean normalized BLASTP scores. J Bacteriol 184:2072–2080
Cox MM, Battista JR (2005) Deinococcus radiodurans—the consummate survivor. Nat Rev Microbiol 3:882–892
Daly MJ, Gaidamakova EK, Matrosova VY, Vasilenko A, Zhai M, Venkateswaran A, Hess M, Omelchenko MV, Kostandarithes HM, Makarova KS, Wackett LP, Fredrickson JK, Ghosal D (2004) Accumulation of Mn(II) in Deinococcus radiodurans facilitates gamma-radiation resistance. Science 306:1025–1028
Deering RA (1968) Dictyostelium discoideum: a gamma-ray resistant organism. Science 162:1289–1290
D’Hondt S, Jorgensen BB, Miller DJ, Batzke A, Blake R, Cragg BA, Cypionka H, Dickens GR, Ferdelman T, Hinrichs KU, Holm NG, Mitterer R, Spivack A, Wang G, Bekins B, Engelen B, Ford K, Gettemy G, Rutherford SD, Sass H, Skilbeck CG, Aiello IW, Guerin G, House CH, Inagaki F, Meister P, Naehr T, Niitsuma S, Parkes RJ, Schippers A, Smith DC, Teske A, Wiegel J, Padilla CN, Acosta JL (2004) Distributions of microbial activities in deep subseafloor sediments. Science 306:2216–2221
DiRuggiero J, Santangelo N, Nackerdien Z, Ravel J, Robb FT (1997) Repair of extensive ionizing-radiation DNA damage at 95 degrees C in the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus. J Bacteriol 179:4643–4645
Jolivet E, Matsunaga F, Ishino Y, Forterre P, Prieur D, Myllykallio H (2003) Physiological responses of the hyperthermophilic archaeon “Pyrococcus abyssi” to DNA damage caused by ionizing radiation. J Bacteriol 185:3958–3961
Kimura H, Asada R, Masta A, Naganuma T (2003) Distribution of microorganisms in the subsurface of the manus basin hydrothermal vent field in Papua New Guinea. Appl Environ Microbiol 69:644–648
Kopylov VM, Bonch-Osmolovskaya EA, Svetlichnyi VA, Miroshnicheko ML, Skobin VS (1993) Gamma-irradiation resistance and UV sensitivity of extremely thermophilic archaebacteria and eubacteria. Mikrobiologiya 62:90–95
Mattimore V, Battista JR (1996) Radioresistance of Deinococcus radiodurans: functions necessary to survive ionizing radiation are also necessary to survive prolonged desiccation. J Bacteriol 178:633–637
Ouzounis CA, Kunin V, Darzentas N, Goldovsky L (2006) A minimal estimate for the gene content of the last universal common ancestor–exobiology from a terrestrial perspective. Res Microbiol 157:57–68
Sghaier H, Mitomo H, Narumi I (2005) Genomic confession of Deinococcus radiodurans: it started out as a radiation-resistant organism. Viva Origino 33:243–257
Woese CR (1987) Bacterial evolution. Microbiol Rev 51:221–271
Zahradka K, Slade D, Bailone A, Sommer S, Averbeck D, Petranovic M, Lindner AB, Radman M (2006) Reassembly of shattered chromosomes in Deinococcus radiodurans. Nature 443:569–573
Acknowledgments
We are grateful to Michael Daly for enormously informative and relevant personal communications, and for numerous constructive suggestions. We also wish to thank Luis Delaye for helpful comments on earlier drafts.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Sghaier, H., Narumi, I., Satoh, K. et al. Problems with the current deinococcal hypothesis: an alternative theory. Theory Biosci. 126, 43–45 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12064-007-0004-x
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12064-007-0004-x