@article{HuVoellerSussmuthetal.2015,
  author    = {Hu, Chenlin and V{\"o}ller, Ginka and Sussmuth, Roderich and Dittmann-Th{\"u}nemann, Elke and Kehr, Jan-Christoph},
  title     = {Functional assessment of mycosporine-like amino acids in Microcystis aeruginosa strain PCC 7806},
  series = {Environmental microbiology},
  volume    = {17},
  journal   = {Environmental microbiology},
  number    = {5},
  publisher = {Wiley-Blackwell},
  address   = {Hoboken},
  issn      = {1462-2912},
  doi       = {10.1111/1462-2920.12577},
  pages     = {1548 -- 1559},
  year      = {2015},
  abstract  = {The biological role of the widespread mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs) in cyanobacteria is under debate. Here, we have constructed and characterized two mutants impaired in MAA biosynthesis in the bloom-forming cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosaPCC 7806. We could identify shinorine as the sole MAA type of the strain, which is exclusively located in the extracellular matrix. Bioinformatic studies as wells as polymerase chain reaction screening revealed that the ability to produce MAAs is sporadically distributed within the genus. Growth experiments and reactive oxygen species quantification with wild-type and mutant strains did not support a role of shinorine in protection against UV or other stress conditions in M.aeruginosaPCC 7806. The shinorine content per dry weight of cells as well as transcription of the mys gene cluster was not significantly elevated in response to UV-A, UV-B or any other stress condition tested. Remarkably, both mutants exhibited pronounced morphological changes compared with the wild type. We observed an increased accumulation and an enhanced hydrophobicity of the extracellular matrix. Our study suggests that MAAs in Microcystis play a negligible role in protection against UV radiation but might be a strain-specific trait involved in extracellular matrix formation and cell-cell interaction.},
  language  = {en}
}
@unpublished{KehrDittmannThuenemann2015,
  author    = {Kehr, Jan-Christoph and Dittmann-Th{\"u}nemann, Elke},
  title     = {Protective tunicate endosymbiont with extreme genome reduction},
  series = {Environmental microbiology},
  volume    = {17},
  journal   = {Environmental microbiology},
  number    = {10},
  publisher = {Wiley-Blackwell},
  address   = {Hoboken},
  issn      = {1462-2912},
  doi       = {10.1111/1462-2920.12941},
  pages     = {3430 -- 3432},
  year      = {2015},
  language  = {en}
}
@misc{KehrDittmannThuenemann2015,
  author    = {Kehr, Jan-Christoph and Dittmann-Th{\"u}nemann, Elke},
  title     = {Biosynthesis and function of extracellular glycans in cyanobacteria},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-400121},
  pages     = {17},
  year      = {2015},
  abstract  = {The cell surface of cyanobacteria is covered with glycans that confer versatility and adaptability to a multitude of environmental factors. The complex carbohydrates act as barriers against different types of stress and play a role in intra- as well as inter-species interactions. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge of the chemical composition, biosynthesis and biological function of exo- and lipo-polysaccharides from cyanobacteria and give an overview of sugar-binding lectins characterized from cyanobacteria. We discuss similarities with well-studied enterobacterial systems and highlight the unique features of cyanobacteria. We pay special attention to colony formation and EPS biosynthesis in the bloom-forming cyanobacterium, Microcystis aeruginosa.},
  language  = {en}
}