A Gram-positive, coccus-shaped, crimson-color-pigmented bacterium was isolated from soil irradiated with 5 kGy gamma radiation and was designated strain DY1(T). Cells showed growth at 10-30 A degrees C and pH 7-11 and were oxidase-negative and catalase-positive. Phylogenetic analyses of the 16S rRNA gene showed that the strain DY1(T) belonged to the genus Deinococcus with sequence similarities to Deinococcus aquatilis CCUG 53370(T) (96.2 %) and Deinococcus navajonensis KR-114(T) (94.1 %). Strain DY1(T) showed low level of DNA relatedness with D. aquatilis CCUG 53370(T) (41.3 +/- A 3.9 %). The DNA G + C content of DY1(T) was 58.7 mol%. Predominant fatty acids were summed feature 3 (C-16:1 omega 7c/omega 6c), C-16:0, and C-17:0. The major amino acids were d-alanine, l-glutamic acid, glycine, and l-ornithine in the peptidoglycan. The major polar lipids were unknown phosphoglycolipids (PGL). Strain DY1(T) has resistance to gamma radiation and was found to be a novel species. Therefore, the strain was designated as DY1(T) (=KCTC 33027(T) = JCM 18576(T)), and the name Deinococcus puniceus sp. nov. is herein proposed.