Recent transcriptome analysis revealed that Deinococcus radiodurans efficiently coordinate their recovery from ionizing radiation through a complex network of DNA repair and metabolic pathway switching. However, the additional discovery of numerous irradiation-response genes has provided new targets for the identification of genes primarily crucial to radiation resistance. Investigations based on electron microscopy suggest that the observed radiation resistance in D. radiodurans might be partly caused by the presence of an unusual ring-like conformation of nucleoids. Although such investigations provide useful insights into the mechanisms underlying radiation resistance, a more detailed empirical explanation of why D. radiodurans is so radiation resistant is still needed. Further research based on alternative genetic and biochemical approaches should help to gain a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in DNA repair.
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