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Photosynthetic and biochemical characterization of pigments and UV-absorbing compounds in Phormidium tenue due to UV-B radiation

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Abstract

We report the effect of UV-B radiation (0.8 ± 0.1 mW cm−2) and UV-B radiation supplemented with low-intensity PAR (∼80 μmol photons m−2 s−1) on the photosynthesis, photosynthetic pigments, phosphoglycolipids, oxidative damage, enzymatic antioxidants, and UV-absorbing compounds in Phormidium tenue, a marine cyanobacterium. UV-B radiation resulted in a decline in photosynthesis and photosynthetic pigments leading to lower biomass. P. tenue synthesized UV-absorbing compounds like mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs) and scytonemin in response to UV-B radiation. Quantity of MAAs and scytonemin was higher when UV-B was supplemented with low-level PAR. UV-B treatment also resulted in quantitative changes in phosphoglycolipids of the membrane. The UV-B treatment resulted in a slight increase in the level of peroxidation of cell membrane and very little increase in the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD). Results indicate that UV-B affected photosynthesis and that the main protective system was the synthesis of MAAs and scytonemin-like compounds rather than antioxidant enzymes such as SOD.

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Acknowledgment

The authors thank the Department of Science & Technology, New Delhi (grant no. SF/FT/LS-015/2007 to RB), and Council of Scientific Institute Research, New Delhi (grant no. 38 (1169)/07/EMR-II to PKS) and Dr. T. Jagtap, National Institute of Oceanography, Goa for the Phormidium sp. culture.

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  1. Department of Botany, Goa University, Goa, 403 206, India

    Rupali R. Bhandari & Prabhat Kumar Sharma

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  1. Rupali R. Bhandari
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Correspondence to Prabhat Kumar Sharma.

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Bhandari, R.R., Sharma, P.K. Photosynthetic and biochemical characterization of pigments and UV-absorbing compounds in Phormidium tenue due to UV-B radiation. J Appl Phycol 23, 283–292 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10811-010-9621-8

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