Oxidative DNA Damage and Repair in the Radioresistant Archaeon Thermococcus gammatolerans.

The hyperthermophilic archaeon Thermococcus gammatolerans can resist huge doses of γ-irradiation, up to 5.0 kGy, without loss of viability. The potential to withstand such harsh conditions is probably due to complementary passive and active mechanisms, including repair of damaged chromosomes.