Radioresistance

Radioresistance is the level of ionizing radiation that organisms are able to withstand.

Ionizing-radiation-resistant organisms (IRRO) were defined as organisms for which the dose of acute ionizing radiation (IR) required to achieve 90% reduction (D10) is greater than 1,000 gray (Gy) [1]

Radioresistance is surprisingly high in many organisms, in contrast to previously held views. For example, the study of environment, animals and plants around the Chernobyl disaster area has revealed an unexpected survival of many species, despite the high radiation levels. A Brazilian study in a hill in the state of Minas Gerais which has high natural radiation levels from uranium deposits, has also shown many radioresistant insects, worms and plants.[2][3] Certain extremophiles, such as the bacteria Deinococcus radiodurans and the tardigrades, can withstand large doses of ionizing radiation on the order of 5,000 Gy.[4][5][6]

  1. ^ Sghaier, Haïtham; Ghedira, Kaïs; Benkahla, Alia; Barkallah, Insaf (2008). "Basal DNA repair machinery is subject to positive selection in ionizing-radiation-resistant bacteria". BMC Genomics. 9: 297. doi:10.1186/1471-2164-9-297. PMC 2441631. PMID 18570673.
  2. ^ Cordeiro, AR; Marques, EK; Veiga-Neto, AJ (1973). "Radioresistance of a natural population of Drosophila willistoni living in a radioactive environment". Mutation Research. 19 (3): 325–9. doi:10.1016/0027-5107(73)90233-9. PMID 4796403.
  3. ^ Moustacchi, E (1965). "Induction by physical and chemical agents of mutations for radioresistance in Saccharomyces cerevisiae". Mutation Research. 2 (5): 403–12. doi:10.1016/0027-5107(65)90052-7. PMID 5878261.
  4. ^ Moseley BEB; Mattingly A (1971). "Repair of irradiated transforming deoxyribonu- cleic acid in wild type and a radiation- sensitive mutant of Micrococcus radiodu- rans". J. Bacteriol. 105 (3): 976–83. doi:10.1128/JB.105.3.976-983.1971. PMC 248526. PMID 4929286.
  5. ^ Murray RGE. 1992. The family Deino- coccaceae. In The Prokaryotes, ed. A Ballows, HG Truper, M Dworkin, W Harder, KH Schleifer 4:3732–44. New York: Springer-Verlag
  6. ^ Ito H; Watanabe H; Takeshia M; Iizuka H (1983). "Isolation and identification of radiation-resistant cocci belonging to the genus Deinococcus from sewage sludges and animal feeds". Agricultural and Biological Chemistry. 47 (6): 1239–47. doi:10.1271/bbb1961.47.1239.