Effect of Relative Humidity on Deinococcus radiodurans’ Resistance to Prolonged Desiccation, Heat, Ionizing, Germicidal, and Environmentally Relevant UV Radiation

Bauermeister, Anja; Moeller, Ralf; Reitz, Günther; Sommer, Suzanne; Rettberg, Petra

doi:10.1007/s00248-010-9785-4

Cited by 74 publications

(60 citation statements)

References 49 publications

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“…Members of the genus Deinococcus are known to exhibit high resistance to UV and gamma radiation, owing to their red or yellow pigments and their ability to repair damaged DNA (Asker et al, 2008). Air-dried Deinococcus cells have exhibited higher resistance to environmental stressors than normal cells (Bauermeister et al, 2011). Accordingly, Deinococcus species have often been detected in extreme environments such as high-altitude atmospheric areas as dominant species.…”

Section: Ubiquitous Bacteria Detected In Extreme Environmentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Vertical distribution of airborne bacterial communities in an Asian-dust downwind area, Noto Peninsula

Maki

Hara

Kobayashi

et al. 2015

Atmospheric Environment

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Bioaerosols at high altitudes were collected using an aircraft and a balloon.Pyrosequencing using 16S rDNA revealed vertical distributions of airborne bacteria.16S rDNA clone libraries suggested the transport of terrestrial and marine bacteria.Meteorological conditions contribute to vertical variations in airborne bacteria. 3 AbstractBacterial populations transported from ground environments to the atmosphere get dispersed throughout downwind areas and can influence ecosystem dynamics, human health, and climate change. However, the vertical bacterial distribution in the free troposphere was rarely investigated in detail. We collected aerosols at altitudes of 3,000 m, 1,000 m, and 10 m over the Noto Peninsula, Japan, where the westerly winds carry aerosols from continental and marine areas. During the sampling period on March 10, 2012, the air mass at 3,000 m was transported from the Chinese desert region by the westerly winds, and a boundary layer was formed below 2,000 m. Pyrosequencing targeting 16S rRNA genes (16S rDNA) revealed that the bacterial community at 3,000 m was predominantly composed of terrestrial bacteria, such as Bacillus and Actinobacterium species. In contrast, those at 1,000 m and 10 m included marine bacteria belonging to the classes Cyanobacteria and Alphaproteobacteria. The entire 16S rDNA sequences in the clone libraries were identical to those of the terrestrial and marine bacterial species, which originated from the Chinese desert region and the Sea of Japan, respectively. The origins of air masses and meteorological conditions contribute to vertical variations in the bacterial communities in downwind atmosphere.

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Section: Ubiquitous Bacteria Detected In Extreme Environmentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Vertical distribution of airborne bacterial communities in an Asian-dust downwind area, Noto Peninsula

Maki

Hara

Kobayashi

et al. 2015

Atmospheric Environment

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“…One of the most studied extremophiles, Deinococcus radiodurans, is a Gram-positive bacterium possessing extremely high tolerances to radiation, desiccation, and other environmental stresses; these attributes have sparked significant interest in this organism for applications in bioremediation and metal detoxification (19)(20)(21). Indeed, D. radiodurans has been engineered for use in radioactive waste manipulation through incorporation of heterologous genes for toluene degradation and mercury and uranium reduction, demonstrating the ability for simultaneous reduction of multiple wastes (22,23).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Imposed Environmental Stresses Facilitate Cell-Free Nanoparticle Formation by Deinococcus radiodurans

Chen

Contreras

Keitz

2017

Appl Environ Microbiol

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The biological synthesis of metal nanoparticles has been examined in a wide range of organisms, due to increased interest in green synthesis and environmental remediation applications involving heavy metal ion contamination. Deinococcus radiodurans is particularly attractive for environmental remediation involving metal reduction, due to its high levels of resistance to radiation and other environmental stresses. However, few studies have thoroughly examined the relationships between environmental stresses and the resulting effects on nanoparticle biosynthesis. In this work, we demonstrate cell-free nanoparticle production and study the effects of metal stressor concentrations and identity, temperature, pH, and oxygenation on the production of extracellular silver nanoparticles by D. radiodurans R1. We also report the synthesis of bimetallic silver and gold nanoparticles following the addition of a metal stressor (silver or gold), highlighting how production of these particles is enabled through the application of environmental stresses. Additionally, we found that both the morphology and size of monometallic and bimetallic nanoparticles were dependent on the environmental stresses imposed on the cells. The nanoparticles produced by D. radiodurans exhibited antimicrobial activity comparable to that of pure silver nanoparticles and displayed catalytic activity comparable to that of pure gold nanoparticles. Overall, we demonstrate that biosynthesized nanoparticle properties can be partially controlled through the tuning of applied environmental stresses, and we provide insight into how their application may affect nanoparticle production in D. radiodurans during bioremediation.IMPORTANCE Biosynthetic production of nanoparticles has recently gained prominence as a solution to rising concerns regarding increased bacterial resistance to antibiotics and a desire for environmentally friendly methods of bioremediation and chemical synthesis. To date, a range of organisms have been utilized for nanoparticle formation. The extremophile D. radiodurans, which can withstand significant environmental stresses and therefore is more robust for metal reduction applications, has yet to be exploited for this purpose. Thus, this work improves our understanding of the impact of environmental stresses on biogenic nanoparticle morphology and composition during metal reduction processes in this organism. This work also contributes to enhancing the controlled synthesis of nanoparticles with specific attributes and functions using biological systems.KEYWORDS Deinococcus, environmental stress, extremophile, nanoparticles M ining and other industrial processes produce significant amounts of metal-ioncontaminated waste streams, necessitating water remediation efforts (1, 2). One attractive method for remediation is the use of microorganisms with the ability to degrade organic pollutants into less toxic species or to reduce metal ions to their solid metal forms via nanoparticle (NP) formation, as these organisms can be genetically e...

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“…Protection and repair mechanisms guarantee the survival of dried Chroococcidiopsis when experiencing additional environmental stressors [32,33]. The major effect caused by space vacuum is desiccation, while concerning solar and galactic cosmic radiation, desiccation-tolerant organisms exhibit a resistance towards UV and ionizing radiation; evidences suggested that such a resistance might be enhanced when cells are irradiated in the dried status, as reported for Deinococcus radiodurans [34].…”

Section: Desert Cyanobacteria and The Terrestrial Analogues Of Marsmentioning

confidence: 91%

Cyanobacteria from Extreme Deserts to Space

Billi¹,

Baqué²,

Smith³

et al. 2013

AiM

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The development of space technology makes the exposure of organisms and molecules to the space environment possible by using the ESA Biopan and Expose facilities and NASA nanosatellites; the aim is to decipher the origin, evolution and distribution of life on Earth and in the Universe. The study of microbial communities thriving in lithic habitats in cold and hot deserts is gathering appreciation when dealing with the limits of life as we know it, the identification of biosignatures for searching life beyond Earth and the validation of the (litho)-Panspermia theory. Cyanobacteria of the genus Chroococcidiopsis dominate rock-dwelling communities in extreme deserts that are considered terrestrial analogues of Mars, like the Dry Valleys in Antarctica, the Atacama Desert in Chile or the Mojave Desert in California. The extraordinary tolerance of these cyanobacteria towards desiccation, ionizing and UV radiation makes them suitable experimental strains which have been already used in astrobiological experiments and already selected for future space missions. Evidence gained so far supports the use of desert cyanobacteria to develop life support systems and in-situ resource utilization for the human space exploration and settlement on the Moon or Mars.

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Effect of Relative Humidity on Deinococcus radiodurans’ Resistance to Prolonged Desiccation, Heat, Ionizing, Germicidal, and Environmentally Relevant UV Radiation

Cited by 74 publications

References 49 publications

Vertical distribution of airborne bacterial communities in an Asian-dust downwind area, Noto Peninsula

Vertical distribution of airborne bacterial communities in an Asian-dust downwind area, Noto Peninsula

Imposed Environmental Stresses Facilitate Cell-Free Nanoparticle Formation by Deinococcus radiodurans

Cyanobacteria from Extreme Deserts to Space

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