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Photoprotective and biotechnological potentials of
cyanobacterial sheath pigment, scytonemin
Shailendra P. Singh, Sunita Kumari,
Rajesh P. Rastogi, Kanchan L. Singh, Richa and Rajeshwar P.
Sinha*
Laboratory of Photobiology and Molecular Microbiology,
Centre of Advanced Study in Botany, Banaras Hindu
University, Varanasi-221005 India.
*Corresponding
author. E-mail:
r.p.sinha@gmx.net. Tel: +91 542 2307147.
Fax: + 91 542
2368174.
Abbreviations: CCs,
Chlorocarbons; CFCs, chlorofluro-carbons; HPLC,
high performance liquid chromatography; OBS,
organobromides; PAR, photosynthetically active
radiation; UVR, ultraviolet radiation.
Accepted 28 December, 2009 |
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Cyanobacteria are the main component of microbial
populations fixing atmospheric nitrogen in aquatic as well
as terrestrial ecosystems, especially in wetland
rice-fields, where they significantly contribute to
fertility as natural biofertilizers. Cyanobacteria require
solar radiation as their primary source of energy to carry
out both photosynthesis and nitrogen fixation. The
stratospheric ozone depletion which has resulted in an
increase in ultraviolet-B (UV-B; 280 - 315 nm) radiation on
earth’s surface has been reported to inhibit a number of
photochemical and photobiological processes in cyanobacteria.
However, certain cyanobacteria have evolved mechanisms such
as synthesis of photoprotective compound scytonemin and
their derivatives to counteract the damaging effects of
UV-B. In addition this compound has anti-inflammatory and
anti-proliferative potentials. This review deals with the
role of scytonemin as photoprotective compound and its
pharmacological as well as biotechnological potentials.
Key words:
Cyanobacteria, biotechnology, ozone depletion,
photoprotection, scytonemin, UV-B (280 - 315 nm) radiation. |
