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.
The process of bioweathering involving natural microbes, natural plants and transgenic animals has proven to be a very efficient and effective tool for detoxifying xenobiotics. The present investigation uses the same tool as a device for detoxifying asbestos, a potent carcinogenic entity. The cellular mechanism of asbestos toxicity to a certain extent, as shown by research, is attributed to its chemical composition particularly the presence of iron in its structure. Many bacteria release iron chelating compounds, siderophores, which could be instrumental in the study. Treatment of asbestos was carried out under specific parameters with bacterial isolates native to the mines of Rajasthan from which asbestos was collected. An assessment was then done to evaluate reduction in iron content of the asbestos fibres by Scanning Electron Microscopy-Energy Dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX). A remarkable decrease was observed in the iron content of asbestos following treatment with most of the bacterial isolates used, which probably could form the basis for asbestos bioweathering studies.
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