Why chartreuse? The pigment vulpinic acid screens blue light in the lichen Letharia vulpina

Phinney, Nathan H.; Gauslaa, Yngvar; Solhaug, Knut Asbjørn

doi:10.1007/s00425-018-3034-3

Cited by 15 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…2010; Phinney et al . 2019). While in L. pulmonaria , removal of readily extractable lichen substances by acetone rinsing only increased transmittance by c .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In pale thalli the main substances are lichen acids, which can reflect PAR as a consequence of their crystalline structure (Solhaug & Gauslaa 2012) and may additionally absorb them. This depends on the quantity and the spectral characteristics of the respective lichen substances (Solhaug et al 2010;Phinney et al 2019). While in L. pulmonaria, removal of readily extractable lichen substances by acetone rinsing only increased transmittance by c. 5%, this value can be much higher in lichens having cortical lichen substances with greater acetone solubility (Solhaug et al 2010).…”

Section: Speciesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Improved photoprotection in melanized lichens is a result of fungal solar radiation screening rather than photobiont acclimation

et al. 2019

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Some lichenized ascomycetes synthesize melanic pigments in their upper cortices when exposed to ultraviolet light and high solar radiation. Our previous work showed that melanized chloro- and cyanolichens from both high light and more shaded habitats were less photoinhibited than pale ones during controlled exposure to high light. However, protection from high light might not necessarily be the consequence of just sun-screening by melanins in upper cortices. An inherent problem with earlier experiments was that the photobionts of melanized thalli might have received more light than those beneath pale cortices. The photobionts may therefore have possessed other light-induced tolerance mechanisms that gave protection from photoinhibition. Here, we aimed to test directly the inherent tolerance of lichen photobionts to photoinhibition. The method involved removing the lower cortices and medullas of three lichen species, Cetraria islandica, Crocodia aurata and Lobaria pulmonaria, and exposing the photobionts to light from below. Results confirmed that most of the improvement in tolerance to photoinhibition in melanized lichens derives from fungal melanization in the upper cortex. However, in C. islandica, the most heavily melanized species, algae from melanized thalli possessed a significantly higher tolerance to photoinhibition than those from pale thalli, suggesting that photobionts can also adapt themselves to high light.

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“…2010; Phinney et al . 2019). While in L. pulmonaria , removal of readily extractable lichen substances by acetone rinsing only increased transmittance by c .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Speciesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Improved photoprotection in melanized lichens is a result of fungal solar radiation screening rather than photobiont acclimation

et al. 2019

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“…In addition, there is a trade-off between visible light protection against photoinhibition and photosynthetic efficiency under low light. The blue light-absorbing compounds parietin in Xanthoria species and vulpinic acid in Letharia vulpina protect these lichens against photoinhibition, although the quantum yield of photosynthesis is reduced (Solhaug & Gauslaa 1996; Phinney et al 2019).…”

Section: Avoidance By Light Screeningmentioning

confidence: 99%

Photoprotection in lichens: adaptations of photobionts to high light

et al. 2021

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Lichens often grow in microhabitats where they are exposed to severe abiotic stresses such as desiccation and temperature extremes. They are also often exposed to levels of light that are greater than lichen photobionts can use in carbon fixation. Unless regulated, excess energy absorbed by the photobionts can convert ground state oxygen to reactive oxygen species (ROS). These ROS can attack the photosynthetic apparatus, causing photoinhibition and photo-oxidative stress, reducing the ability of the photobionts to fix carbon. Here, we outline our current understanding of the effects of high light on lichens and the mechanisms they use to mitigate or tolerate this stress in hydrated and desiccated states. Tolerance to high light can be achieved first by lowering ROS formation, via synthesizing light screening pigments or by thermally dissipating the excess light energy absorbed; second, by scavenging ROS once formed; or third, by repairing ROS-induced damage. While the primary focus of this review is tolerance to high light in lichen photobionts, our knowledge is rather fragmentary, and therefore we also include recent findings in free-living relatives to stimulate new lines of research in the study of high light tolerance in lichens.

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“…The authors' field of experience in alpine forests suggests that on poorly branched, deciduous conifers (i.e., on larch) the vertical distribution gradient of the two functional subgroups could have as its counterpart an exposure gradient, with Bryoria species prevailing on the more dry, sun-exposed sides of the trunks and "usnic lichens" prevailing on more sheltered and humid exposures. Other lichen compounds in hair-lichens, such as vulpinic acid in Letharia vulpina, have been shown to play a role in blue light screening [45], this pattern may vary elsewhere.…”

Section: Lichen-climate Relationships With Emphasis On Hair-lichensmentioning

confidence: 99%

Could Hair-Lichens of High-Elevation Forests Help Detect the Impact of Global Change in the Alps?

et al. 2019

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Climate change and the anthropic emission of pollutants are likely to have an accelerated impact in high-elevation mountain areas. This phenomenon could have negative consequences on alpine habitats and for species of conservation in relative proximity to dense human populations. This premise implies that the crucial task is in the early detection of warning signals of ecological changes. In alpine landscapes, high-elevation forests provide a unique environment for taking full advantage of epiphytic lichens as sensitive indicators of climate change and air pollution. This literature review is intended to provide a starting point for developing practical biomonitoring tools that elucidate the potential of hair-lichens, associated with high-elevation forests, as ecological indicators of global change in the European Alps. We found support for the practical use of hair-lichens to detect the impact of climate change and nitrogen pollution in high-elevation forest habitats. The use of these organisms as ecological indicators presents an opportunity to expand monitoring activities and develop predictive tools that support decisions on how to mitigate the effects of global change in the Alps.

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Why chartreuse? The pigment vulpinic acid screens blue light in the lichen Letharia vulpina

Cited by 15 publications

References 39 publications

Improved photoprotection in melanized lichens is a result of fungal solar radiation screening rather than photobiont acclimation

Improved photoprotection in melanized lichens is a result of fungal solar radiation screening rather than photobiont acclimation

Photoprotection in lichens: adaptations of photobionts to high light

Could Hair-Lichens of High-Elevation Forests Help Detect the Impact of Global Change in the Alps?

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