Abstract
Organisms have different adaptations to avoid damage from ultraviolet radiation and one such adaptation is the accumulation of mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs). These compounds are common in aquatic taxa but a comprehensive review is lacking on their distribution and function in zooplankton. This paper shows that zooplankton MAA concentrations range from non-detectable to ~13 µg mgDW−1. Copepods, rotifers, and krill display a large range of concentrations, whereas cladocerans generally do not contain MAAs. The proposed mechanisms to gain MAAs are via ingestion of MAA-rich food or via symbiotic bacteria providing zooplankton with MAAs. Exposure to UV-radiation increases the concentrations in zooplankton both via increasing MAA concentrations in the phytoplankton food and due to active accumulation. Concentrations are generally low during winter and higher in summer and females seem to deposit MAAs in their eggs. The concentrations of MAAs in zooplankton tend to increase with altitude but only up to a certain altitude suggesting some limitation for the uptake. Shallow and UV-transparent systems tend to have copepods with higher concentrations of MAAs but this has only been shown in a few species. A high MAA concentration has also been shown to lead to lower UV-induced mortality and an overall increased fitness. While there is a lot of information on MAAs in zooplankton we still lack understanding of the potential costs and constraints for accumulation. There is also scarce information in some taxa such as rotifers as well as from systems in tropical, sub(polar) areas as well as in marine systems in general.
Highlights
Ultraviolet radiation constitutes a small proportion of the solar spectrum but can cause significant damage to DNA and other cellular structures and in the end affect ecosystems and human health [1,2].UV is a natural environmental factor that has been present throughout evolutionary time [3] but recent human-induced pollution with release of ozone depleting substances has raised concern that UV-exposure will change [1]
Mycosporine-like amino acids, so called mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs), are one group of such photoprotective compounds with absorption maxima ranging from 310–360 nm and they are known to occur in a wide range of both aquatic and terrestrial taxa [5,7,9]
Some of the first records of MAAs in zooplankton came from clear alpine lakes [10,11]2 of and from marine Antarctic copepods [9], and the development of precise methods for quantifying MAAs in plankton using high-performance liquid chromatography was important for the
Summary
Ultraviolet radiation constitutes a small proportion of the solar spectrum but can cause significant damage to DNA and other cellular structures and in the end affect ecosystems and human health [1,2]. The distribution and functions of MAAs have been covered in several general reviews [4,5,7,8] but none of these reviews have focused on the role and significance of MAAs in zooplankton. Some of the first records of MAAs in zooplankton came from clear alpine lakes [10,11]2 of and from marine Antarctic copepods [9], and the development of precise methods for quantifying MAAs in plankton using high-performance liquid chromatography was important for the Antarctic copepods [9], and the development of precise methods (HPLC). Since thisdevelopment paper reviews and using high-performance liquid wasexpanded importantand for the of this synthetizes the literature covering the presence and significance of MAAs in freshwater and marine field [12]. I focus on and MAA concentration ranges in different of zooplankton covering the presence significance of MAAs in freshwater andtaxa marine zooplankton.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
