Does pigmentation provide protection to bdelloid rotifers in a high ultraviolet B environment?

ABSTRACT: Aquatic species found in habitats with limited shade and little dissolved organic carbon (DOC) have increased vulnerability to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) damage. Pigmentation is a common mechanism used by animals for protection from UVR. A pigmented bdelloid rotifer, Philodina, occurs in high densities in shallow rock pools in El Paso Co., TX, and is subject to repeated desiccation and high UVR. To understand the roles of DOC, pigmentation, and dormancy in reducing the effects of UVR exposure in these rotifers: (1) DOC levels in rock pools were measured before and after the summer monsoon season, and (2) hydrated or dormant bdelloids (desiccated for 1, 7, or 32 days) that differed in degree of pigmentation (highly, moderately, lightly, and none) were exposed to three intensities UV

SUBMITTER: Baeza MJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12124814 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature