Scholarlink

<p>Some species have evolved innovative solutions that allow them to thrive in extreme environments, including in habitats where temperature and ultraviolet radiation are high. Here we focus on the role of colour, particularly a blue carotenoprotein pigment, for survival in an environmentally stressful habitat. We show that blue <i>Linckia laevigata</i> seastars are common on tropical reef flats throughout the Indo-West Pacific, where at low tide, water temperatures can reach 40º C and water levels frequently drop &lt; 0.5&#xa0;m, sometimes resulting in animals being fully exposed to the air and ultraviolet radiation. Conversely, non-blue morphs live in water ≥ 1&#xa0;m, where these stressors are ameliorated. Despite their different depth distribution, blue <i>L. laevigata</i> do not differ significantly from orange morphs in their ability to block ultraviolet radiation, which suggests that the blue carotenoprotein pigment is not a physical sunscreen. However, we show that saline extracts of skin, with intact blue carotenoproteins, demonstrate antioxidant capacity and in fact demonstrate more than twice as much oxygen radical absorbance capacity as acetone extracts where the carotenoids (mainly astaxanthin) and protein moiety have dissociated. Together with depth data, this suggests that the blue pigment provides protection from environmental stress through an increased capacity to delay, prevent or repair oxidative damage and is a key evolutionary innovation in <i>L. laevigata</i>.</p>

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

The blue advantage: a novel blue carotenoprotein pigment in the tropical seastar Linckia laevigata is an antioxidant defence against extreme environmental stress

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年1月22日

查看全文
  • Suzanne T. Williams,
  • Stephanie M. Heyworth,
  • Yasunori Kano,
  • Nicholas W. Roberts,
  • Hugh F. Carter,
  • Karen L. Cheney

摘要

Some species have evolved innovative solutions that allow them to thrive in extreme environments, including in habitats where temperature and ultraviolet radiation are high. Here we focus on the role of colour, particularly a blue carotenoprotein pigment, for survival in an environmentally stressful habitat. We show that blue Linckia laevigata seastars are common on tropical reef flats throughout the Indo-West Pacific, where at low tide, water temperatures can reach 40º C and water levels frequently drop < 0.5 m, sometimes resulting in animals being fully exposed to the air and ultraviolet radiation. Conversely, non-blue morphs live in water ≥ 1 m, where these stressors are ameliorated. Despite their different depth distribution, blue L. laevigata do not differ significantly from orange morphs in their ability to block ultraviolet radiation, which suggests that the blue carotenoprotein pigment is not a physical sunscreen. However, we show that saline extracts of skin, with intact blue carotenoproteins, demonstrate antioxidant capacity and in fact demonstrate more than twice as much oxygen radical absorbance capacity as acetone extracts where the carotenoids (mainly astaxanthin) and protein moiety have dissociated. Together with depth data, this suggests that the blue pigment provides protection from environmental stress through an increased capacity to delay, prevent or repair oxidative damage and is a key evolutionary innovation in L. laevigata.