Talk:Deinococcus radiodurans

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Where's the evidence that it is resistant to heat? I've read that it is resistant to cold but not to heat.

I see no evidence that it is, nor is there anything in reference no. 6 that indicates this. The sentence by the below poster is not found in that article. We use heat to kill it. Other species of Deinococcus *are* thermophilic but not this one. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 130.39.115.49 (talk) 22:12, 27 February 2008 (UTC)

I have removed "heat" from the first line. Please source your evidence if you revert. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 130.39.115.49 (talk) 22:19, 27 February 2008 (UTC)

The link in reference no. 5 is incorrect.

I think that you meant the PMID in reference no. 6, which I have just fixed. The organism is resistant to all forms of stress, including dessication and heat. Reference no. 1 has information on this. I had to fix the PMID for that reference as well. --Ben Best 00:23, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

Should there be any mention about potentially Martian origins? There's a BBC article about that here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6191197.stm

I have removed the statement: " Certain scientists are trying to implement genes into D. radiodurans that will cause its protein to disable metals with which they come into contact. In doing so, this bacterium may be able to metabolize heavy metals such as plutonium, uranium, and other radioactive metals into harmless matter. ^{[dubious – discuss]}" This cannot be correct. Radioactive materials do not lose their radioactivity through chemical processes.

Actually what happens is the radioactive metal is reduced or is caused to form a compound. The resulting product, while still radioactive, becomes insoluble and easier to sequester. So it's true that the metals are metabolized, but false that they become harmless. Ask google about nuclear bioremediation for some links.Viracocha (talk) 22:18, 25 March 2008 (UTC)

I'll have to contact someone to find the links to relevant research but IIRC the heat resistance of D. radiodurans was evidenced by its reaction to dessication. They were able to heat it to a high degree evaporating most of the liquid (dessication) and when it was re-introduced to fluids it re-hydrated with very little/no genetic disruption. This is not true of most single cell structures. For example blood has to be kept fluid (and cold) and cannot be stored in a powdered form.

[edit] DNA repair in other species

I've removed this statement:

Some have speculated that mechanisms of DNA repair used by D. radiodurans could be incorporated into the genome of higher species as a means of rejuvenation.^[1]

I don't know of anyone who suggests that possibility, and the referenced article certainly doesn't. The special repair mechanism would require multiple copies of each chromosome to be stacked on top of each other, which I can't imagine would be feasible in eukaryotes due to the more complicated chromosome structure. But feel free to add it back if you find a better reference.Viracocha (talk) 22:18, 25 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Info on bacterium?

Where does it live, how big is it, what does it do all day? AxelBoldt (talk) 23:47, 26 January 2008 (UTC)

And, what -does- kill it? high enough heat to decompose the organic molecules has to at some point, but anything short of holding it in a flame? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.116.67.106 (talk) 05:06, 9 February 2008 (UTC)

Just out of curiosity, is D. radiodurans potentially harmful to humans or any other animals? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 172.192.149.119 (talk) 22:37, 24 March 2008 (UTC)

No, there aren't any known pathogenic extremophiles. Viracocha (talk) 22:18, 25 March 2008 (UTC)