Deinococcus radiodurans, also called “Conan the Bacteria” for its extraordinary ability to tolerate the harshest conditions, can withstand radiation doses thousands of times higher than what would kill a human – or any other organism for that matter.


The secret behind this impressive resistance is the presence of a collection of simple metabolites, which together with manganese form a powerful antioxidant. Now chemists from Northwestern University and the Uniformed Services University (USU) have discovered how this antioxidant works.


In a new study, researchers characterized a synthetic designer antioxidant called MDP that was inspired by the resilience of Deinococcus radiodurans. They found that the components of MDP – manganese ions, phosphate and a small peptide – form a ternary complex that is a much more powerful protector against radiation damage than manganese in combination with any of the other individual components alone.


This discovery could ultimately lead to new synthetic antioxidants specifically tailored to human needs. Applications include protecting astronauts from intense cosmic radiation during deep space missions, preparing for radiation emergencies, and producing radiation-inactivated vaccines.


The research will be published the week of December 9 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.


“It is this ternary complex that is MDP’s excellent shield against the effects of radiation,” Northwestern’s said Brian Hoffman who conducted the research together with Michael Daly of USU. “We have long known that manganese ions and phosphate together form a strong antioxidant, but discovering and understanding the ‘magic’ power provided by the addition of the third component is a breakthrough. This study has provided the key to understanding why this combination is so. such a powerful – and promising – radioprotectant.”


Hoffman is the Charles E. and Emma H. ​​Morrison Professor of Chemistry and professor of molecular biosciences at Northwestern’s University. Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences . He is also a member of the Institute for Chemistry of Life Processes . Daly is an expert on Deinococcus radiodurans, a professor of pathology at USU and a member of the National Academies’ Committee on Planetary Protection.


Incredible Hulk of the microbial world


The new study builds on previous research from Hoffman and Daly’s collaboration, in which they attempted to evaluate the predicted ability of Deinococcus radiodurans to withstand radiation on Mars . In that study, Hoffman’s team at Northwestern used an advanced spectroscopy technique to measure the accumulation of manganese antioxidants in the microbes’ cells.


According to Hoffman and Daly, the size of the radiation dose that a microorganism or its spores can survive is directly related to the amount of manganese antioxidants it contains. In other words, more manganese antioxidants mean more resistance to intense radiation.


In previous studies, other researchers found that Deinococcus radiodurans can survive 25,000 grays (or units of X-rays and gamma rays). But inside their 2022 study Hoffman and Daly discovered that the bacteria – when dried and frozen – can withstand 140,000 gray radiation, a dose 28,000 times greater than what would kill a human. So if there are dormant, frozen microbes buried on Mars, they could possibly have survived the onslaught of galactic cosmic rays and solar protons to this day.


The power of three


Building on their efforts to understand the microbe’s radiation resistance, Hoffman and Daly’s team examined a designer decapeptide called DP1. In combination with phosphate and manganese, DP1 forms the free radical scavenger MDP, which successfully protects cells and proteins against radiation damage. In another recent study Daly and his collaborators found that MDP is effective in the preparation of irradiated polyvalent vaccines.


Using advanced paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, the team revealed that MDP’s active ingredient is a ternary complex: a precise collection of phosphate and peptide bound to manganese.


“This new understanding of MDP could lead to the development of even more powerful manganese-based antioxidants for applications in healthcare, industry, defense and space exploration,” Daly said.


The study: “The ternary complex of Mn2+synthetic decapeptide DP1 (DEHGTAVMLK) and orthophosphate is an excellent antioxidant” was supported by the National Institutes of Health (grant number GM111097), the National Science Foundation (grant number CHE-2333907), and the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (grant number HDTRA1620354).




/Public publication. This material from the original organization/author(s) may be contemporary in nature and has been edited for clarity, style and length. Mirage.News takes no institutional positions or parties, and all views, opinions and conclusions expressed herein are solely those of the author(s). View the full document here.



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