Deinococcus radiodurans-derived membrane vesicles protect HaCaT cells against H2O2-induced oxidative stress via modulation of MAPK and Nrf2/ARE pathways.

BACKGROUND: Deinococcus radiodurans is a robust bacterium that can withstand harsh environments that cause oxidative stress to macromolecules due to its cellular structure and physiological functions. Cells release extracellular vesicles for intercellular communication and the transfer of biological information; their payload reflects the status of the source cells. Yet, the biological role and mechanism of Deinococcus radiodurans-derived extracellular vesicles remain unclear. AIM: This study investigated the protective effects of membrane vesicles derived from D. radiodurans (R1-MVs) against H2O2-induced oxidative stress in HaCaT cells. RESULTS: R1-MVs were identified as 322 nm spherical molecules. Pretreatment with R1-MVs inhibited H2O2-mediated apoptosis in HaCaT cells by suppressing the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. R1-MVs increased the superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities, restored glutathione (GSH) homeostasis, and reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) production in H2O2-exposed HaCaT cells. Moreover, the protective effect of R1-MVs against H2O2-induced oxidative stress in HaCaT cells was dependent on the downregulation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) phosphorylation and the upregulation of the nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)/antioxidant response element (ARE) pathway. Furthermore, the weaker protective capabilities of R1-MVs derived from ΔDR2577 mutant than that of the wild-type R1-MVs confirmed our inferences and indicated that SlpA protein plays a crucial role in R1-MVs against H2O2-induced oxidative stress. CONCLUSION: Taken together, R1-MVs exert significant protective effects against H2O2-induced oxidative stress in keratinocytes and have the potential to be applied in radiation-induced oxidative stress models.

From microbes to molecules: a review of microbial-driven antioxidant peptide generation.

Oxidative stress, arising from excess reactive oxygen species (ROS) or insufficient antioxidant defenses, can damage cellular components, such as lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids, resulting in cellular dysfunction. The relationship between oxidative stress and various health disorders has prompted investigations into potent antioxidants that counteract ROS's detrimental impacts. In this context, antioxidant peptides, composed of two to twenty amino acids, have emerged as a unique group of antioxidants and have found applications in food, nutraceuticals, and pharmaceuticals. Antioxidant peptides are sourced from natural ingredients, mainly proteins derived from foods like milk, eggs, meat, fish, and plants. These peptides can be freed from their precursor proteins through enzymatic hydrolysis, fermentation, or gastrointestinal digestion. Previously published studies focused on the origin and production methods of antioxidant peptides, describing their structure-activity relationship and the mechanisms of food-derived antioxidant peptides. Yet, the role of microorganisms hasn't been sufficiently explored, even though the production of antioxidant peptides frequently employs a variety of microorganisms, such as bacteria, fungi, and yeasts, which are recognized for producing specific proteases. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of microorganisms and their proteases participating in enzymatic hydrolysis and microbial fermentation to produce antioxidant peptides. This review also covers endogenous peptides originating from microorganisms. The information obtained from this review might guide the discovery of novel organisms adept at generating antioxidant peptides.

Deinococcus taeanensis sp. nov., a Radiation-Resistant Bacterium Isolated from a Coastal Dune.

A Gram-stain-negative, nonspore-forming, nonmotile, aerobic, rod-shaped, and very pale orange-colored bacterial strain, designated TS293T, was isolated from a sand sample obtained from a coastal dune after exposure to 3kGy of gamma (γ)-radiation. Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that the isolate was a member of the genus Deinococcus and clustered with D. deserti VCD115T. The genome of strain TS293T was 4.62 Mbp long (68.2% G + C content and 4124 predicted genes) divided into a 2.86Mb main chromosome and five plasmids. Many genes considered to be important to the γ-radiation and oxidative stress resistance of Deinococcus were conserved in TS293T, but genome features that could differentiate TS293T from D. deserti and D. radiodurans, the type species of the Deinococcus genus, were also detected. Strain TS293T showed resistance to γ-radiation with D10 values (i.e., the dose required to reduce the bacterial population by tenfold) of 3.1kGy. The predominant fatty acids of strain TS293T were summed feature 3 (C16:1 ω6c and/or C16:1 ω7c) and iso-C16:0. The major polar lipids were two unidentified phosphoglycolipids and one unidentified glycolipid. The main respiratory quinone was menaquinone-8. Based on the phylogenetic, genomic, physiological, and chemotaxonomic characteristics, strain TS293T represents a novel species, for which the name Deinococcus taeanensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is TS293T (= KCTC 43191T = JCM 34027T).

Methylobacterium radiodurans sp. nov., a novel radiation-resistant Methylobacterium.

A Gram-negative, aerobic, flagellated, rod-shaped, and pink-pigmented bacterium, strain 17Sr1-43 T, was isolated from a soil sample collected in Nowongu, Seoul, Korea. The isolate could grow at 18-37 °C (optimum, 28-30 °C), pH 6.0-8.0 (optimum, pH 7.0) and in the presence of 0-1.0% (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 0%) with aeration. The major cellular fatty acids were summed feature 8 (C18:1 ω7c and/or C18:1 ω6c) and summed feature 2 (iso-C16:1 I and/or C14:0 3-OH). The predominant respiratory quinone was Q-10 and the major polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, phospholipid, and diphosphatidylglycerol. The G + C content of genomic DNA was 69.1 mol%. Strain 17Sr1-43 T was closely related to Methylobacterium gregans KACC 14808 T (98.4% 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity), Methylobacterium hispanicum KACC 11432 T (97.9%), and Methylobacterium phyllosphaerae CBMB27T (96.1%). The complete genome of strain 17Sr1-43 T contains essential genes related to DNA repair processes including bacterial RecBCD dependent pathway and UmuCD system. Based on the phenotypic, genotypic, and chemotaxonomic characteristics, strain 17Sr1-43 T represents a novel species in the genus Methylobacterium, for which the name Methylobacterium radiodurans sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is strain 17Sr1-43 T (= KCTC 52906 T = NBRC 112875 T).

Hymenobacter taeanensis sp. nov., radiation resistant bacterium isolated from coastal sand dune.

An aerobic, Gram-stain-negative, non-motile, non-spore-forming, rod-shaped, and light pink-colored bacterial strain, designated TS19T, was isolated from a sand sample obtained from a coastal sand dune after exposure to 3 kGy of gamma radiation. Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that the isolate was a member of the genus Hymenobacter and was most closely related to H. wooponensis WM78T (98.3% similarity). Strain TS19T and H. wooponensis showed resistance to gamma radiation with D10 values (i.e., the dose required to reduce the bacterial population by tenfold) of 7.3 kGy and 3.5 kGy, respectively. The genome of strain TS19T consists of one contig with 4,879,662 bp and has a G + C content of 56.2%. The genome contains 3,955 protein coding sequences, 44 tRNAs, and 12 rRNAs. The predominant fatty acids of strain TS19T were iso-C15:0, summed feature 4 (iso-C17:1 I and/or anteiso-C17:1 B), summed feature 3 (C16:1 ω6c and/or C16:1 ω7c), and C16:1 ω5c. The major polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine, and one unidentified aminophospholipid. The main respiratory quinone was menaquinone-7. Based on the phylogenetic, physiological, and chemotaxonomic characteristics, strain TS19T represents a novel species, for which the name Hymenobacter taeanensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is TS19T (= KCTC 72897T = JCM 34023T).

Spirosoma taeanense sp. nov., a radiation resistant bacterium isolated from a coastal sand dune.

An aerobic, Gram-negative, non-motile, non-spore-forming, rod-shaped, and pale yellow-colored bacterial strain, designated TS118T, was isolated from a sand sample obtained from a coastal sand dune after exposure to 3 kGy of gamma radiation. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that the isolate was a member of the genus Spirosoma and most closely related to Spirosoma metallicum PR1014kT (95.1% similarity). The genome of strain TS118T is constituted by one chromosome (5,691,492 bp) and one plasmid (28,440 bp) and has a G + C content of 52.7%. The genome contains 4641 protein coding sequences (CDSs), 38 tRNAs, and 11 rRNAs. The predominant fatty acids of strain TS118T were C16:1 ω5c, iso-C15:0, C16:0, summed feature 3 (C16:1 ω6c and/or C16:1 ω7c), and iso-C17:0 3-OH. The major polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine, an unidentified amino lipid and an unidentified aminophospholipid. The main respiratory quinone was menaquinone-7 (MK-7). The novel strain showed resistance to gamma radiation with a D10 value (i.e., the dose required to reduce the bacterial population by tenfold) of 4.3 kGy. Based on the phylogenetic, physiological, and chemotaxonomic characteristics, strain TS118T represents a novel species, for which the name Spirosoma taeanense sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is TS118T (=KCTC 72898T =JCM 34024T).

The Inhibitory Effects of Plant Derivate Polyphenols on the Main Protease of SARS Coronavirus 2 and Their Structure-Activity Relationship.

The main protease (Mpro) is a major protease having an important role in viral replication of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the novel coronavirus that caused the pandemic of 2020. Here, active Mpro was obtained as a 34.5 kDa protein by overexpression in E. coli BL21 (DE3). The optimal pH and temperature of Mpro were 7.5 and 37 °C, respectively. Mpro displayed a Km value of 16 µM with Dabcyl-KTSAVLQ↓SGFRKME-Edans. Black garlic extract and 49 polyphenols were studied for their inhibitory effects on purified Mpro. The IC50 values were 137 µg/mL for black garlic extract and 9-197 µM for 15 polyphenols. The mixtures of tannic acid with puerarin, daidzein, and/or myricetin enhanced the inhibitory effects on Mpro. The structure-activity relationship of these polyphenols revealed that the hydroxyl group in C3', C4', C5' in the B-ring, C3 in the C-ring, C7 in A-ring, the double bond between C2 and C3 in the C-ring, and glycosylation at C8 in the A-ring contributed to inhibitory effects of flavonoids on Mpro.

Crystal structure of the AhpD-like protein DR1765 from Deinococcus radiodurans R1.

Deinococcus radiodurans is well known for its extreme resistance to ionizing radiation (IR). Since reactive oxygen species generated by IR can damage various cellular components, D. radiodurans has developed effective antioxidant systems to cope with this oxidative stress. dr1765 from D. radiodurans is predicted to encode an alkyl hydroperoxidase-like protein (AhpD family), which is implicated in the reduction of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and organic hydroperoxides. In this study, we constructed a dr1765 mutant strain (Δdr1765) and examined the survival rate after H2O2 treatment. Δdr1765 showed a significant decrease in the H2O2 resistance compared to the wild-type strain. We also determined the crystal structure of DR1765 at 2.27 Å resolution. DR1765 adopted an all alpha helix protein fold representative of the AhpD-like superfamily. Structural comparisons of DR1765 with its structural homologues revealed that DR1765 possesses the Glu74-Cys86-Tyr88-Cys89-His93 signature motif, which is conserved in the proton relay system of AhpD. Complementation of Δdr1765 with dr1765 encoding C86A or C89A mutation failed to restore the survival rate to wild-type level. Taken together, these results suggest that DR1765 might function as an AhpD to protect cells from oxidative stress.

Hymenobacter baengnokdamensis sp. nov., Isolated from the Soil of a Crater Lake in Korea.

An aerobic, Gram-stain-negative, non-motile, non-spore-forming, rod-shaped and pink-colored bacterial strain, designated BRD72T, was isolated from a crater lake (Baengnokdam) at the top of Mt. Hallasan in the Republic of Korea. Cells were catalase-positive and oxidase-negative. Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that the isolate was a member of the genus Hymenobacter and most closely related to Hymenobacter marinus KJ035T (96.2% similarity). The isolate was found to produce carotenoid pigment, but not flexirubin-type pigment. The predominant fatty acids of strain BRD72T were summed feature 3 (C16:1 ω7c and/or C16:1 ω6c, 21.6%), iso-C15:0 (17.9%), anteiso-C15:0 (13.3%) and summed feature 4 (iso-C17:1 I and/or anteiso-C17:1 B, 11.3%). The major polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine, an unidentified amino lipid, and two unidentified aminophospholipids. The main respiratory quinone was menaquinone-7 (MK-7), and the main polyamine was homospermidine. The DNA G+C content was 59.8 mol%. Based on the phylogenetic, physiological, and chemotaxonomic characteristics, strain BRD72T represents a novel species, for which the name Hymenobacter baengnokdamensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is BRD72T (= KCTC 72649T = JCM 33837T).

Fermented Wild Ginseng by Rhizopus oligosporus Improved l-Carnitine and Ginsenoside Contents.

We conducted this study to investigate the beneficial effects of Rhizopus oligosporus fermentation of wild ginseng on ginsenosides, l-carnitine contents and its biological activity. The Rhizopus oligosporus fermentation of wild ginseng was carried out at 30 °C for between 1 and 14 days. Fourteen ginsenosides and l-carnitine were analyzed in the fermented wild ginseng by the ultra high pressure liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS) system. Our results showed that the total amount of ginsenosides in ginseng increased from 3,274 to 5,573 mg/kg after 14 days of fermentation. Among the 14 ginsenosides tested, the amounts of 13 ginsenosides (Rg1, Rb2, Rb3, Rc, Rd, Re, Rf, Rg2, Rg3, Rh1, compound K, F1 and F2) increased, whereas ginsenoside Rb1 decreased, during the fermentation. Furthermore, l-carnitine (630 mg/kg) was newly synthesized in fermented ginseng extract after 14 days. In addition, both total phenol contents and DPPH radical scavenging activities showed an increase in the fermented ginseng with respect to non-fermented ginseng. These results show that the fermentation process reduced the cytotoxicity of wild ginseng against RAW264.7 cells. Both wild and fermented wild ginseng showed anti-inflammatory activity via inhibition of nitric oxide synthesis in RAW264.7 murine macrophage cells.

Crystal structure of the highly radiation-inducible DinB/YfiT superfamily protein DR0053 from Deinococcus radiodurans R1.

Deinococcus radiodurans is an extremophilic bacterium well-known for its extraordinary resistance to ionizing radiation and other DNA damage- and oxidative stress-generating agents. In addition to its efficient DNA damage repair and oxidative stress resistance mechanisms, protein family expansions and stress-induced genes/proteins are also regarded as important components that add to the robustness of this bacterium. D. radiodurans encodes specific expansions of 13 DinB/YfiT homologs, which is a relatively large number when compared to those found in Gram-positive bacteria. In this study, we investigated the expression profiles of 13 dinB genes after γ-irradiation, mitomycin C and H2O2 treatment. dr0053 had the highest expression levels after DNA-damage inducing γ-irradiation and MMC treatment, increasing ∼200-fold and ∼16-fold, respectively. We also determined the crystal structure of DR0053 at 2.07 Šresolution. DR0053 adopted a typical four-helix bundle structure that is characteristic of DinB/YfiT proteins. A putative metal binding site was occupied by zinc even though the highly conserved His triad of DinB/YfiT proteins was replaced by Glu-Asn-His.

Deinococcus koreensis sp. nov., a gamma radiation-resistant bacterium isolated from river water.

A gamma radiation-resistant, Gram-stain-negative, rod-shaped bacterial strain, designated SJW1-2T, was isolated from freshwater samples collected from the Seomjin River, Republic of Korea. The 16S rRNA gene sequence analyses showed that strain SJW1-2T was most closely related to Deinococcus metalli 1PNM-19T (94.3 % sequence similarity) and formed a robust phylogenetic clade with other species of the genus Deinococcus. The optimum growth pH and temperature for the isolate were pH 7.0-7.5 and 25 °C, respectively. Strain SJW1-2T exhibited high resistance to gamma radiation. The predominant respiratory quinone was MK-8. The polar lipid profile consisted of different unidentified glycolipids, two unidentified lipids, two unidentified phospholipids and an unidentified phosphoglycolipid. The major peptidoglycan amino acids were alanine, d-glutamic acid, glycine and l-ornithine. The predominant fatty acids (>10 %) were summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω7c and/or C16 : 1ω6c) (25.2 %) and C16 : 0 (21.2 %), and the DNA G+C content was 69.5 mol%. On the basis of phenotypic, genotypic and phylogenetic analyses, strain SJW1-2T (=KACC 19332T=NBRC 112908T) represents a novel species of the genus Deinococcus, for which the name Deinococcus koreensis sp. nov. is proposed.

Deinococcus irradiatisoli sp. nov., isolated from gamma ray-irradiated soil.

Strain 17bor-2T, a gamma-resistant, pink-to-red-coloured, aerobic, catalase-positive, oxidase-negative and Gram-stain-negative bacterium, was isolated from gamma ray-irradiated soil. The isolate grew aerobically at 18-37 °C (optimum, 28-30 °C), pH 6.0-8.0 (pH 6.5-7.5) and in the presence of 0-1 % (w/v) NaCl (0 % NaCl). Phylogenetic analysis based on its 16S rRNA gene sequence indicated that strain 17bor-2T belonged to the genus Deinococcus with a highest sequence similarity of 96.4 % to Deinococcus alpinitundrae ME-04-04-52T. The major fatty acids of the strain were summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω7c and/or C16 : 1ω6c), C16 : 0 and cyclo C17 : 0. The only respiratory quinone was MK-8. The major polar lipids of the strain were phosphoglycolipid, aminophospholipid and an unknown glycolipid. The DNA G+C content of strain 17bor-2T was 62.8 mol%. On the basis of its phenotypic, genotypic and chemotaxonomic characteristics, strain 17bor-2T should be classified as a novel species in the genus Deinococcus, for which the name Deinococcusirradiatisoli sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is 17bor-2T (=KCTC 33907T=NBRC 113037T).

Roseomonas radiodurans sp. nov., a gamma-radiation-resistant bacterium isolated from gamma ray-irradiated soil.

A bacterial strain, designated 17Sr1-1T, was isolated from gamma ray-irradiated soil. Cells of this strain were Gram-stain-negative, strictly aerobic, motile and non-spore-forming rods. Growth occurred at 18-42 ˚C and pH 6.0-8.0, but no growth occurred at 2 % NaCl concentration. The major fatty acids of strain 17Sr1-1T were summed feature 8 (C18 : 1ω7c and/or C18 : 1ω6c), iso-C17 : 1ω5c and C16 : 0. The polar lipid profile contained diphosphatidylglycerol, glycolipid, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol and four unidentified lipids. The G+C content of the genomic DNA of 17Sr1-1T was 71.9 mol%. The 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis showed that strain 17Sr1-1T was phylogenetically related to Roseomonas pecuniae N75T and Roseomonas rosea 173-96T (96.6 and 96.3 % sequence similarity, respectively). The genotypic and phenotypic data showed that strain 17Sr1-1T could be distinguished from its phylogenetically related species, and that this strain represented a novel species within the genus Roseomonas, for which the name Roseomonas radiodurans sp. nov. (type strain 17Sr1-1T=KCTC 52899T=NBRC 112872T) is proposed as the first reported gamma ray-resistant Roseomonas species.

DNA binding fluorescent proteins for the direct visualization of large DNA molecules.

Fluorescent proteins that also bind DNA molecules are useful reagents for a broad range of biological applications because they can be optically localized and tracked within cells, or provide versatile labels for in vitro experiments. We report a novel design for a fluorescent, DNA-binding protein (FP-DBP) that completely 'paints' entire DNA molecules, whereby sequence-independent DNA binding is accomplished by linking a fluorescent protein to two small peptides (KWKWKKA) using lysine for binding to the DNA phosphates, and tryptophan for intercalating between DNA bases. Importantly, this ubiquitous binding motif enables fluorescent proteins (Kd = 14.7 µM) to confluently stain DNA molecules and such binding is reversible via pH shifts. These proteins offer useful robust advantages for single DNA molecule studies: lack of fluorophore mediated photocleavage and staining that does not perturb polymer contour lengths. Accordingly, we demonstrate confluent staining of naked DNA molecules presented within microfluidic devices, or localized within live bacterial cells.

Vaccination With a Latch Peptide Provides Serotype-Independent Protection Against Group B Streptococcus Infection in Mice.

Streptococcus agalactiae (group B streptococcus [GBS]) is a leading cause of invasive diseases in neonates and severe infections in elderly individuals. GBS serine-rich repeat glycoprotein 1 (Srr1) acts as a critical virulence factor by facilitating GBS invasion into the central nervous system through interaction with the fibrinogen Aα chain. This study revealed that srr1 is highly conserved, with 86.7% of GBS clinical isolates expressing the protein. Vaccination of mice with different Srr1 truncated peptides revealed that only Srr1 truncates containing the latch domain protected against GBS meningitis. Furthermore, the latch peptide alone was immunogenic and elicited protective antibodies, which efficiently enhanced antibody-mediated opsonophagocytic killing of GBS by HL60 cells and provided heterogeneous protection against 4 different GBS serogroups. Taken together, these findings indicated that the latch domain of Srr1 may constitute an effective peptide vaccine candidate for GBS.

The three catalases in Deinococcus radiodurans: Only two show catalase activity.

Deinococcus radiodurans, which is extremely resistant to ionizing radiation and oxidative stress, is known to have three catalases (DR1998, DRA0146, and DRA0259). In this study, to investigate the role of each catalase, we constructed catalase mutants (Δdr1998, ΔdrA0146, and ΔdrA0259) of D. radiodurans. Of the three mutants, Δdr1998 exhibited the greatest decrease in hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) resistance and the highest increase in intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels following H2O2 treatments, whereas ΔdrA0146 showed no change in its H2O2 resistance or ROS level. Catalase activity was not attenuated in ΔdrA0146, and none of the three bands detected in an in-gel catalase activity assay disappeared in ΔdrA0146. The purified His-tagged recombinant DRA0146 did not show catalase activity. In addition, the phylogenetic analysis of the deinococcal catalases revealed that the DR1998-type catalase is common in the genus Deinococcus, but the DRA0146-type catalase was found in only 4 of 23 Deinococcus species. Taken together, these results indicate that DR1998 plays a critical role in the anti-oxidative system of D. radiodurans by detoxifying H2O2, but DRA0146 does not have catalase activity and is not involved in the resistance to H2O2 stress.

Engineering Synthetic Multistress Tolerance in Escherichia coli by Using a Deinococcal Response Regulator, DR1558.

Cellular robustness is an important trait for industrial microbes, because the microbial strains are exposed to a multitude of different stresses during industrial processes, such as fermentation. Thus, engineering robustness in an organism in order to push the strains toward maximizing yield has become a significant topic of research. We introduced the deinococcal response regulator DR1558 into Escherichia coli (strain Ec-1558), thereby conferring tolerance to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The reactive oxygen species (ROS) level in strain Ec-1558 was reduced due to the increased KatE catalase activity. Among four regulators of the oxidative-stress response, OxyR, RpoS, SoxS, and Fur, we found that the expression of rpoS increased in Ec-1558, and we confirmed this increase by Western blot analysis. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays showed that DR1558 bound to the rpoS promoter. Because the alternative sigma factor RpoS regulates various stress resistance-related genes, we performed stress survival analysis using an rpoS mutant strain. Ec-1558 was able to tolerate a low pH, a high temperature, and high NaCl concentrations in addition to H2O2, and the multistress tolerance phenotype disappeared in the absence of rpoS. Microarray analysis clearly showed that a variety of stress-responsive genes that are directly or indirectly controlled by RpoS were upregulated in strain Ec-1558. These findings, taken together, indicate that the multistress tolerance conferred by DR1558 is likely routed through RpoS. In the present study, we propose a novel strategy of employing an exogenous response regulator from polyextremophiles for strain improvement.

Deinococcus actinosclerus sp. nov., a novel bacterium isolated from soil of a rocky hillside.

Three Gram-stain-positive, catalase- and oxidase-positive coccus- or rod-shaped bacterial strains, designated BM2T, BM4 and BM5, were isolated from soil in South Korea. They showed strong resistance to gamma radiation with a D10 value of 9 kGy but weak UVC resistance. The 16S rRNA sequences of strains BM2T, BM4 and BM5 represent a novel subline within the genus Deinococcus in the family Deinococcaceae. The 16S rRNA gene sequences of strains BM2T, BM4 and BM5 were indistinguishable and showed 98.1-87.3 % similarity with other species of the genus Deinococcus. Strain BM2T exhibited relatively high levels of DNA-DNA hybridization with BM4 (87 ± 0.8 %) and BM5 (92 ± 1.2 %). Meanwhile, it showed a low level of DNA-DNA hybridization ( < 30 %) with other closely related species of the genus Deinococcus. The strains showed the typical chemotaxonomic characteristics of the genus Deinococcus, with the presence of menaquinone 8 as the respiratory quinone; the major fatty acids were summed feature 3 (composed of C16 : 1ω7c/C16 : 1ω6c), C15 : 1ω6c and C16 : 0. The DNA G+C content of strain BM2T was 69.7 mol%. The polar lipid profile included major amounts of phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine and an unknown aminolipid. On the basis of phenotypic and genotypic properties, and phylogenetic distinctiveness, strains BM2T, BM4 and BM5 should be classified in a novel species in the genus Deinococcus, for which the name Deinococcus actinosclerus sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is BM2T ( = KEMB 5401-184T = JCM 30700T); reference strains are BM4 ( = JCM 30701) and BM5 ( = JCM 30702).

Deinococcus persicinus sp. nov., a radiation-resistant bacterium from soil.

Two Gram-stain-negative, oxidase-negative, catalase-positive, aerobic and coccus-shaped bacterial strains, KSY3-6T and JSH6-18, were isolated from soil in South Korea. Strains KSY3-6T and JSH6-18 showed high resistance to gamma-ray and UVC irradiation. The 16S rRNA gene sequences of strains KSY3-6T and JSH6-18 showed a novel subline within the genus Deinococcus in the family Deinococcaceae. They shared 94.8-86.4 % nucleotide similarities with other species of the genus Deinococcus. Strain KSY3-6T exhibited high DNA-DNA hybridization values with JSH6-18 (77±0.8 %). The two strains showed typical chemotaxonomic characteristics of the genus Deinococcus, including the presence of menaquinone 8 (MK-8) as predominant respiratory quinone and C16 : 0, C17 : 0cyclo and summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω7c/C16: 1ω6c) as major fatty acids. The G+C content of the DNA of strains KSY3-6T and JSH6-18 was 62.0 and 62.4 mol%, respectively. Polar lipids in strains KSY3-6T and JSH6-18 were mainly phosphoglycolipids. Based on their phenotypic and genotypic properties, strains KSY3-6T and JSH6-18 should be classified as representatives of a novel species in the genus Deinococcus, for which the name Deinococcus persicinus sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is KSY3-6T (=KCTC 33787T=JCM 31313T). The reference strain is JSH6-18 (=KCTC 33788=JCM 31312).