Low temporal dynamics of mycosporine-like amino acids in benthic cyanobacteria from an alpine lake.

ABSTRACT: Cyanobacteria are one of the oldest organisms on Earth and they originated at a time when damaging ultraviolet (UV) C radiation still reached the surface. Their long evolution led to several adaptations to avoid deleterious effects caused by exposure to solar UV radiation. Synthesis of sunscreen substances, such as mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs), allows them to photosynthesise with reduced risk of cell damage. The interplay of solar UV radiation and MAAs is well documented for cyanobacteria in the plankton realm, but little is known for those in the benthic realm, particularly of clear alpine lakes.Here, we assessed the temporal dynamics of MAAs in the benthic algal community of one clear alpine lake dominated by cyanobacteria during the ice-free season and along a depth gradient usin

SUBMITTER: Werner N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7821102 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature