The cyanobacterial UV-absorbing pigment scytonemin displays radical-scavenging activity

The Journal of General and Applied Microbiology

Ehsan Nazifi¹  Kei Matsui³  Seiichi Matsugo⁴  Naoki Wada⁴  Toshio Sakamoto³  Yosuke Hirai² 

[1]Division of Life Science, Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Kanazawa University

[2]Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Kanazawa University

[3]Division of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Kanazawa University

[4]School of Natural System, College of Science and Engineering, Kanazawa University

关键词: anhydrobiosis;    environmental adaptation;    Nostoc commune;    terrestrial cyanobacterium;    UV-A;   

DOI  :  10.2323/jgam.58.137

学科分类：微生物学和免疫学

来源: Applied Microbiology, Molecular and Cellulrar Biosciences Research Foundation

【 摘 要 】

Scytonemin is a 544-Da hydrophobic pigment that can absorb UV-A radiation. It is present in cyanobacterial sheaths and is thought to function as a UV protectant. In this study, scytonemin was purified from the terrestrial cyanobacterium Nostoc commune, and its radical-scavenging activity was characterized. The purified scytonemin quenched an organic radical in vitro and accounted for up to 10% of the total activity of an ethanol extract of N. commune. These results suggest that the extracellular UV-absorbing pigment scytonemin has multiple roles, functioning as a UV sunscreen and an antioxidant relevant to anhydrobiosis in N. commune.

【 授权许可】

Unknown