Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 20:
Electron micrographs of
Deinococcus geothermalis
with a scale bar, 0.5 µm (A) and
Deinococcus deserti
(B and C).
Picture A courtesy Elena Gaidamakova, Dept of Pathology, USUHS 4301 Jones Bridge Rd, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA. Pictures
B and C courtesy J.-P. Chauvin, Institut de Biologie du Développement de Marseille Luminy (IBDML), UMR 6216, Campus
de Luminy Case 907, Marseille Cedex 9 F-13288, France, obtained through Arjan de Groot, CEA, DSV, IBEB, Laboratory of
Microbial Ecology of the Rhizosphere and Extreme Environments (LEMiRE), Saint-Paul-lez-Durance, France.
Besides being desiccation tolerant,
Chroococcidiopsis
possesses a very good DNA repair system as
severe damage caused by 2.5 and 5 kGy ionizing radiation could be repaired within 3 and 24 h,
respectively. This refl ects that this organism can withstand long periods of desiccation by its ability
to repair DNA damages caused during desiccation (Billi
et al
., 2000). Due to the above unique
features C
hroococcidiopsis
has been projected as a suitable pioneer organism for the development
of technologies for large-scale terrafarming on Mars (Friedmann and Ocampo-Friedmann, 1995).
