Unusual radioresistance of nitrogen-fixing cultures of Anabaena strains
Abstract
Nitrogen-fixing cultures of two species of the filamentous, heterocystous cyanobacterium Anabaena, namely Anabaena sp. strain L-31 and Anabaena torulosa were found to be highly tolerant to 60Co gamma radiation. No adverse effect on diazotrophic growth and metabolism were observed up to a dose of 5 kGy. At higher doses, radiation tolerance showed a correspondence with the inherent osmotolerance, with Anabaena L-31 being the more radiation tolerant as well as osmotolerant strain. In Anabaena L-31, exposure to 6 kGy of gamma rays resulted in genome disintegration, but did not reduce viability. Irradiation delayed heterocyst differentiation and nitrogen fixation, and marginally affected diazotrophic growth. All the affected parameters recovered after a short lag, without any discernible postirradiation phenotype. The radiation tolerance of these Gram-negative photoautodiazotrophs is comparable with that of the adiazotrophic photoautotrophic cyanobacterium Chroococcidiopsis or adiazotrophic heterotroph Deinococcus radiodurans. This is the first report of extreme radioresistance in nitrogen-fixing Anabaena cultures.
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Findings are consistent with other studies demonstrating similar resilience among many cyanobacteria species to multiple spectra of IR, including UV-C flux on the Martian surface and X-rays.
“These findings are consistent with other studies that demonstrate similar resilience amongst many cyanobacteria species to a multitude of spectra of IR, including the UV-C flux present on the Martian surface and X-rays [109,110].”
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- Authors
- Singh, H., Fernandes, T., & Apte, S. K.
- Affiliations
- Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (IN)
- Corresponding author
- Apte, Shree Kumar
- Venue
- Journal of Biosciences
- Published
- 2010-08-11
- Volume
- 35
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 427-434
- ISSN
- 0250-5991 (ISSN-L)
- 0973-7138
- OpenAlex
- W2075712529
- Cited by
- 37
- References
- 46
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 2 · 2013: 3
- FWCI
- 0.72
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- Journal of Biosciences (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Bacterial Genetics and Biotechnology
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics › Biocrusts and Microbial Ecology
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging › Effects of Radiation Exposure
- Keywords
- radioresistance (biology), Anabaena, Anabaena torulosa, nitrogen fixation, diazotrophy, osmotolerance, heterocyst differentiation, cyanobacteria
- MeSH terms
- DNA Damage, DNA Repair, DNA, Bacterial, Gamma Rays, Nitrogen Fixation, Radiation Tolerance, Anabaena
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