Abstract
The phototrophic growth ofChloroflexus aurantiacus under anoxic conditions was determined as a function of continuous UV irradiance. Cultures grown under an irradiance of 0.01 Wm−2 exhibited a slightly depressed yield over the nonirradiated control. Yields decreased further with increasing irradiance. Inhibition was severe at an irradiance of 0.66 Wm−2. Growth ofE. coli cultures was severely depressed at UV-C irradiances that permitted good growth ofC. aurantiacus. Low levels of Fe3+ provided a very effective UV absorbing screen. The apparent UV resistance ofChloroflexus and the effectiveness of iron as a UV-absorbing screen in sediments and microbial mats are suggested to be likely mechanisms of survival of early phototrophs in the Precambrian in the absence of an ozone shield.
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Pierson, B.K., Mitchell, H.K. & Ruff-Roberts, A.L. Chloroflexus aurantiacus and ultraviolet radiation: Implications for archean shallow-water stromatolites. Origins Life Evol Biosphere 23, 243–260 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01581902
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01581902