Ionizing Radiation Resistant Microorganisms: Opportunities and Challenges

Background and Aim : The microorganisms that thrive in extreme environmental conditions, such as different levels of ionizing radiation, are known as extremophiles. The secondary metabolic reserves including extremozymes and extremolytes play an important role in the survival of extremophiles in high levels of radiation. The biotechnological advances in the field of genomics, proteomics and, metabolomics have opened new perspectives on the use of extremolytes in the treatment of diseases. Therefore, it is important to study the therapeutic and industrial potential of these Microorganisms.Methods : This review article aims to discuss the defensive mechanisms, therapeutic and industrial implications, opportunities and challenges associated with radiation-resistant microorganisms. PubMed, Ovid Medline, and Embase were the sources of research in this article.Results : Radiation resistance in extremophiles includes several strategies such as scavenging of free radicals, limitation of ROS production, efficient DNA repair, Synthesis of pigment and protection of proteins against oxidation. The compounds that have been extracted from extremophiles including, melanin, bacterioruberin, scytonemin, sphaerophorin, and ectoine are widely used in the production of anticancer drugs, cell-cycle-blocking agents, antioxidants and sunscreens. Also, extremophiles as a microfactories have the ability of Bioremediation of radioactive waste. Extraction and Purification of extremolytes, optimization of production efficiency and economic profitability are the challenges in this field.Conclusion : Extremophiles have great potential in the pharmaceutical industry, biotechnology and, bioremediation of toxic and radioactive compounds. However, increased research efforts need to be made for evaluating the unique characteristic of radioresistant extremophiles.

کلیدواژه ها:

Ionization radiation ، Microorganisms ، Extremophiles ، Extremolytes