Query: NC_002570:126500 Bacillus halodurans C-125, complete genome
Lineage: Bacillus halodurans; Bacillus; Bacillaceae; Bacillales; Firmicutes; Bacteria
General Information: Strain C-125 (JCM9153) was isolated in 1977 and is the most well studied alkaliphilic Bacillus organism. Alkaliphilic bacterium. This organism is similar to Bacillus subtilis but is alkaliphilic, grows poorly at neutral pH, and very well at pH >9.5. This bacterium produces a peptidoglycan that contains teichuronic peptides consisting of polyglutamic and polyglucuronic acids that counteract the halophilic environment.
Subject: NC_001263:2574755 Deinococcus radiodurans R1 chromosome 1, complete sequence
Lineage: Deinococcus radiodurans; Deinococcus; Deinococcaceae; Deinococcales; Deinococcus-Thermus; Bacteria
General Information: This red-pigmented organism's name means "strange berry that withstands radiation", marking the fact that this organism is one of the most radiation-resistant known. It can tolerate radiation levels at 1000 times the levels that would kill a human and it was originally isolated in 1956 from a can of meat that had been irradiated with X-rays. The resistance to radiation may reflect its resistance to dessication, which also causes DNA damage. This organism may be of use in cleaning up toxic metals found at nuclear weapons production sites due to the radiation resistance. This bacterium is also a highly efficient transformer, and can readily take up exogenous DNA from the environment, which may also aid DNA repair. This organism carries multiple copies of many DNA repair genes, suggesting a robust system for dealing with DNA damage. The recombination system may rely on multiple copies of various repeat elements found throughout the genome.