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Review
. 2017 Sep;57(9):715-727.
doi: 10.1002/jobm.201700044. Epub 2017 May 22.

Cyanobacteria as efficient producers of mycosporine-like amino acids

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Review

Cyanobacteria as efficient producers of mycosporine-like amino acids

Shikha Jain et al. J Basic Microbiol. 2017 Sep.

Abstract

Mycosporine-like amino acids are the most common group of transparent ultraviolet radiation absorbing intracellular secondary metabolites. These molecules absorb light in the range of ultraviolet-A and -B with a maximum absorbance between 310 and 362 nm. Cyanobacteria might have faced the most deleterious ultraviolet radiation, which leads to an evolution of ultraviolet protecting mycosporine-like amino acids for efficient selection in the environment. In the last 30 years, scientists have investigated various cyanobacteria for novel mycosporine-like amino acids, applying different induction techniques. This review organizes all the cyanobacterial groups that produce various mycosporine-like amino acids. We found out that cyanobacteria belonging to orders Synechococcales, Chroococcales, Oscillatoriales, and Nostocales are frequently studied for the presence of mycosporine-like amino acids, while orders Gloeobacterales, Spirulinales, Pleurocapsales, and Chroococcidiopsidales are still need to be investigated. Nostoc and Anabaena strains are major studied genus for the mycosporine-like amino acids production. Hence, this review will give further insight to the readers about potential mycosporine-like amino acid producing cyanobacterial groups in future investigations.

Keywords: cyanobacteria; mycosporine-like amino acids; natural sunscreen; shinorine; ultraviolet radiation.

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