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Title: Early Cyanobacteria and the Innovation of Microbial Sunscreens

Journal Article · · mBio (Online)
ORCiD logo [1]
  1. Univ. of California, Davis, CA (United States); Joint BioEnergy Inst. (JBEI), Emeryville, CA (United States); Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

Metabolism drives life; therefore, understanding how and when various branches of metabolism evolved provides a critical piece to understanding how life has integrated itself into the geochemical cycles of our planet over billions of years. Although the most transformative metabolisms that have significantly altered the trajectory of Earth are inherently linked to primary metabolism, natural products that stem from specialized metabolic pathways are also key components to many auxiliary facets of life. Cyanobacteria are primarily known as the original inventors of oxygenic photosynthesis, using sunlight to split water to create our dioxygen-filled atmosphere; however, many of them also have evolved to produce small molecules that function as sunscreens to protect themselves from ultraviolet radiation. Determining when cyanobacteria first evolved the ability to biosynthesize such compounds is an important piece to understanding the rise of oxygen and the eventual success of the phylum.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-05CH11231
OSTI ID:
1637292
Journal Information:
mBio (Online), Vol. 10, Issue 3; ISSN 2150-7511
Publisher:
American Society for MicrobiologyCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 4 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

References (14)

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How did life survive Earth's great oxygenation? journal April 2016
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Primary endosymbiosis events date to the later Proterozoic with cross-calibrated phylogenetic dating of duplicated ATPase proteins journal June 2013
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Oxygen Concentration Inside a Functioning Photosynthetic Cell journal May 2014
Timing the Evolutionary Advent of Cyanobacteria and the Later Great Oxidation Event Using Gene Phylogenies of a Sunscreen journal May 2019
Evolution of multicellularity coincided with increased diversification of cyanobacteria and the Great Oxidation Event text January 2013
How did life survive Earth's great oxygenation? journal April 2016
Photosynthesis and early Earth journal October 2015
Evolution of multicellularity coincided with increased diversification of cyanobacteria and the Great Oxidation Event journal January 2013
Primary endosymbiosis events date to the later Proterozoic with cross-calibrated phylogenetic dating of duplicated ATPase proteins journal June 2013
Crown group Oxyphotobacteria postdate the rise of oxygen journal July 2016

Figures / Tables (1)