Extremophilic pigments in eukaryotic microbes: a tool for survivability
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Riddhi Basu
Abstract
Extremophiles are dominant life forms of the environment which have the ability to survive in the extreme environmental conditions by developing systems that allow them to adjust with a variety of stress factors, including freezing temperature, desiccation, high or low levels of salinity, and high levels of solar UV-B (280-314 nm) radiation. Eukaryotic microorganisms such as fungi, algae, and lichens produce a wide range of pigments as a protector against all of these ecological stresses making them a potential source for natural pigment production. Formation of photoprotective compounds like mycosporines and carotenoids by fungi is a strategic behavior for them to survive in extreme conditions. Pigments from these extremophilic organisms are used for their antioxidant properties, anticancerous properties, food additives, antimicrobial activities, and so on. In this review, we discuss about the important pigments produced by eukaryotic microotrganisms in extremophilic conditions, their applications in human society, and their implications upon those organisms.
Abstract
Extremophiles are dominant life forms of the environment which have the ability to survive in the extreme environmental conditions by developing systems that allow them to adjust with a variety of stress factors, including freezing temperature, desiccation, high or low levels of salinity, and high levels of solar UV-B (280-314 nm) radiation. Eukaryotic microorganisms such as fungi, algae, and lichens produce a wide range of pigments as a protector against all of these ecological stresses making them a potential source for natural pigment production. Formation of photoprotective compounds like mycosporines and carotenoids by fungi is a strategic behavior for them to survive in extreme conditions. Pigments from these extremophilic organisms are used for their antioxidant properties, anticancerous properties, food additives, antimicrobial activities, and so on. In this review, we discuss about the important pigments produced by eukaryotic microotrganisms in extremophilic conditions, their applications in human society, and their implications upon those organisms.
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- List of contributing authors V
- Contents XIII
- Acidophilic microbial communities: remediating acid mine drainage waters 1
- The extremophiles indigenous to acid mines 23
- Halophiles: properties, adaptations, diversity, and applications 43
- Deep-sea extremophiles and their diversity in the Indian Ocean 65
- Extremozymes: exclusive outlook toward the white biotechnology 95
- Extremophiles: a potential source of extremozymes 113
- Prospects of biofuels, biofertilizers, and therapeutics from extremophiles 131
- Extremophilic pigments in eukaryotic microbes: a tool for survivability 149
- Bioactive compounds from extremophilic bacteria 171
- Psychrophiles survival strategies: insights into the comprehensive adaptive behavioral approaches in cold-habituated bacteria 197
- Extremophiles to polyextremophiles: survival of the fittest 221
- An overview of extremophiles as microbial armament for bioremediation 245
- Biotechnological applications extremophiles: the golden epoch ahead 269
- Potential of extremophiles: a review of current research in nanoparticle synthesis 289
- Cyanobacteria in nanotechnology 315
- Use of extremophiles in nanotechnology 339
- Contribution of cyanobacteria and microalgae as extremophiles in the field of biotechnology 365
- Exploring the potential extremophilic microbes for bioremediation 383
- Index 407
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- List of contributing authors V
- Contents XIII
- Acidophilic microbial communities: remediating acid mine drainage waters 1
- The extremophiles indigenous to acid mines 23
- Halophiles: properties, adaptations, diversity, and applications 43
- Deep-sea extremophiles and their diversity in the Indian Ocean 65
- Extremozymes: exclusive outlook toward the white biotechnology 95
- Extremophiles: a potential source of extremozymes 113
- Prospects of biofuels, biofertilizers, and therapeutics from extremophiles 131
- Extremophilic pigments in eukaryotic microbes: a tool for survivability 149
- Bioactive compounds from extremophilic bacteria 171
- Psychrophiles survival strategies: insights into the comprehensive adaptive behavioral approaches in cold-habituated bacteria 197
- Extremophiles to polyextremophiles: survival of the fittest 221
- An overview of extremophiles as microbial armament for bioremediation 245
- Biotechnological applications extremophiles: the golden epoch ahead 269
- Potential of extremophiles: a review of current research in nanoparticle synthesis 289
- Cyanobacteria in nanotechnology 315
- Use of extremophiles in nanotechnology 339
- Contribution of cyanobacteria and microalgae as extremophiles in the field of biotechnology 365
- Exploring the potential extremophilic microbes for bioremediation 383
- Index 407
