Adaptations of Cyanobacteria to High Solar Irradiance: UV- shielding Compounds

许多蓝藻（蓝绿藻）在暴露于高强度阳光下时，在细胞周围的鞘或胶囊中产生黄色色素。该项目的目的是确定这种色素的化学性质，并评估其在保护这些生物免受短波太阳辐射，特别是紫外线辐射的有害影响方面的有效性。实验将使用实验室培养物，并将确定正常和增强紫外线辐射水平对光合作用、生长和存活的各种影响，有和没有保护色素。这项研究特别重要，因为平流层臭氧耗竭可能导致紫外线辐射水平显著提高。重要的是要了解所有的“策略”采用的生物，以防止这种潜在的破坏性辐射。蓝藻鞘色素的屏蔽可能代表了对过量光和短波辐射的最早和最原始的适应之一。

Many cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) produce a yellow pigment in the sheaths or capsules surrounding their cells when exposed to high intensity sunlight. The goal of this project is to determine the chemical nature of this pigment, and to assess its effectiveness in protecting these organisms from the harmful effects of short wave solar radiation, in particular, ultra- violet radiation. The experiments will use laboratory cultures and will determine the various effects of normal and enhanced levels of ultra-violet radiation on photosynthesis, growth , and survival, with and without the protective pigment. This research is particularly relevant because stratospheric ozone depletion may result in significantly greater levels of ultra-violet radiation. It is important to understand all the "strategies" employed by living organisms to protect against this potentially damaging radiation. Shielding by sheath pigments in cyanobacteria may represent one of the earliest and most primitive adaptations to excess light and short-wave radiation.