Complete genome sequence of Deinococcus swuensis, a bacterium resistant to radiation toxicity

[摘要] Deinococcus swuensis DY59^T is a Grampositive, coccus-shaped bacterium. Most members of the genus Deinococcus are able to grow in the presence of high levels of chronic radiation toxicity and desiccation because they can protect enzymes from reactive oxygen species generated during ionizing radiation. The mechanisms behind the resistance to radiation toxicity and the genomic features of resistance could be useful to exploit Deinococcus swuensis in the biotechnological applications such as detoxification of xenobiotic contaminated with radioactive wastes. Strain DY59^T showed resistance to gamma radiation with a D₁₀ value (i.e. the dose required to reduce the bacterial population by 10-fold) in excess of 5 kGy. However, the genus Deinococcus is slightly characterized at the genome level, despite its potential importance. Thus, the present study determined the features of Deinococcus swuensis DY59^T, as well as its genome sequence and annotation. The genome comprised of 3,531,443 bp with a G + C content of 67.4%, which included 3,305 protein-coding genes and 58 RNA genes. Based on the genome annotation, the strain DY59^T undergoes prokaryotic type nucleotide excision repair pathway, restores the damaged gene, and resists the ionizing radiation toxicity.

[学科分类] 分子生物学，细胞生物学和基因

[关键词] Radiation resistance