• BMB Reports
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.412-416
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• 2000

The obligate aerobic Deinococcus are highly resistant against lethal effect of UV-and ionizing-radiation. Only five mesophilic Deinococcus species, i. e. D. radiodurans, D. radiophilus, D. proteolyticus, D. radiopugnans, and D. grandis are known. Since an indispensable role of catalase has been suggested in protecting cells against oxidative stress and UV radiation, Deinococcal catalase activity of each species and electrophoretic profiles of catalases were investigated on gel. Total catalase activity was varied among the species in the aerobically grown culture at stationary phase. The occurrence of multiple forms of catalases with different molecular weights in four species of Deinococcus and of a single catalase in D. radiopugnans suggests that each species shows the unique catalase profiles on gel. Some Deinococcal catalases also exhibit peroxidase activity. Since Deinococcus spp. are less-distinct to each other in their morphology, biochemical and physiological properties, the catalase profiles on PAGE would be useful in identifying the species of Deinococcus.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.232-235
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• 2001

Electrophoretic resolution of superoxide dismutase (SOD) from the highly UV-resistant bacteria, Deinococcus species revealed multiple forms of superoxide dismutases (SODs) in D. radiodurans, D. grandis, and D. proteolyticus, as judged from electrophoretic properties and metal cofactors. A single SOD occurred in both D. radiophilus and D. radiopugnans. Deinococcal SODs were either MnSOD, FeSOD or cambialistic Mn/FeSOD. The unique SOD profile of each mesophilic Deinococcus species, multiplicity and metal cofactors would be valuable in identifying Deinococcus species.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.26 no.11
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• pp.1845-1854
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• 2016

The transglycosylation activity of amylosucrase (ASase) has received significant attention owing to its use of an inexpensive donor, sucrose, and broad acceptor specificity, including glycone and aglycone compounds. The transglycosylation reaction of recombinant ASase from Deinococcus radiopugnans (DRpAS) was investigated using various phenolic compounds, and quercetin-3-O-rutinoside (rutin) was found to be the most suitable acceptor molecule used by DRpAS. Two amino acid residues in DRpAS variants (DRpAS Q299K and DRpAS Q299R), assumed to be involved in acceptor binding, were constructed by site-directed mutagenesis. Intriguingly, DRpAS Q299K and DRpAS Q299R produced 10-fold and 4-fold higher levels of rutin transglycosylation product than did the wild-type (WT) DRpAS, respectively. According to in silico molecular docking analysis, the lysine residue at position 299 in the mutants enables rutin to more easily position inside the active pocket of the mutant enzyme than in that of the WT, due to conformational changes in loop 4.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.461-465
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• 2006

The occurrence of thioredoxin reductase (NAD(P)H: oxidized-thioredoxin reductase, EC 1.6.4.5, TrxR) in five mesophilic species of Deinococcus was investigated by PAGE. Each species possessed a unique TrxR pattern, for example, a single TrxR characterized D. radiopugnans while multiple forms of TrxR occurred in other Deinococcal spp. Most of TrxRs occurring in Deinococcus showed dual cofactor specificity, active with either NADH or NADPH, although the NADPH specific-TrxR was observed in D. radiophilus and D. proteolytic us.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.22 no.9
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• pp.1296-1300
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• 2012

The feasibility of using Deinococcus showing strong resistance to both desiccation and ionizing radiation as a dose indicator of gamma radiation exposure was evaluated. Three Deinococcus strains having different levels of radiation resistance, Deinococcus radiodurans (DRD), Deinococcus radiopugnans (DRP), and the DRD pprI mutant (DRM), were selected to develop an appropriate dose indicator for a broad range of exposures. DRD, DRP, and DRM cultures with different numbers of cells [${\sim}10^7$ to $10^3$ colony forming units (CFU)/$100{\mu}l$] were lyophilized and subjected to various doses of gamma radiation to determine a critical dose that inhibited bacterial growth completely. Finally, a combination of DRD at ${\sim}10^7$ and ${\sim}10^6$ CFU, DRP at ${\sim}10^5$ CFU, and DRM at ${\sim}10^4$ CFU successfully indicated exposure to 5, 10, 20, and 30 kGy of gamma radiation, respectively. This study shows the possibility of developing a qualitative indicator of radiation exposure using Deinococcus.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.20 no.12
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• pp.1637-1646
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• 2010

The bacterium Deinococcus radiodurans is one of the most resistant organisms to ionizing radiation and other DNA-damaging agents. Although, at present, 30 Deinococcus species have been identified, the whole-genome sequences of most species remain unknown, with the exception of D. radiodurans (DRD), D. geothermalis, and D. deserti. In this study, comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) microarray analysis of three Deinococcus species, D. radiopugnans (DRP), D. proteolyticus (DPL), and D. radiophilus (DRPH), was performed using oligonucleotide arrays based on DRD. Approximately 28%, 14%, and 15% of 3,128 open reading frames (ORFs) of DRD were absent in the genomes of DRP, DPL, and DRPH, respectively. In addition, 162 DRD ORFs were absent in all three species. The absence of 17 randomly selected ORFs was confirmed by a Southern blot. Functional classification showed that the absent genes spanned a variety of functional categories: some genes involved in amino acid biosynthesis, cell envelope, cellular processes, central intermediary metabolism, and DNA metabolism were not present in any of the three deinococcal species tested. Finally, comparative genomic data showed that 120 genes were Deinococcus-specific, not the 230 reported previously. Specifically, ddrD, ddrO, and ddrH genes, previously identified as Deinococcus-specific, were not present in DRP, DPL, or DRPH, suggesting that only a portion of ddr genes are shared by all members of the genus Deinococcus.