ReviewNature reviews. Microbiology2011
Microbial ultraviolet sunscreens.
Review in Nature reviews. Microbiology, 2011. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 134 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
134 citing papers in PubMed.
- Encapsulation-mediated bioformulation of biocrust inoculants: microbial delivery strategies for dryland soil restoration.Archives of microbiology · 2026Review
- Sources and traits of bacteria and fungi found in the near-surface atmosphere.Applied and environmental microbiology · 2026Article
- Bioactive metabolites of UV-resistant Streptomyces alkaliterrae CH-8 and their antioxidant and antibiofilm potential.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Development of a plant growth-promoting bacterial EcoBiome derived from desert soil isolates.Applied and environmental microbiology · 2026Article
- Novel Raman signature evidences an unknown cyanobacterial pigment.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- c-di-GMP is a key regulator of Pseudomonas aeruginosa response to UVA radiation.Photochemical & photobiological sciences : Official journal of the European Photochemistry Association and the European Society for Photobiology · 2026Article
- Osmotic signaling governs sunscreen biosynthesis to safeguard desert cyanobacteria against desiccation.mLife · 2026Article
- Succession of Cyanobacterial Community Contributes to Bacterial and Fungal Community Assembly in Dryland Biocrusts.Ecology and evolution · 2026Article
- Green genes from blue greens: challenges and solutions to unlocking the potential of cyanobacteria in drug discovery.Natural product reports · 2026Review
- Environmental Heterogeneity Drives Distinct Spatial Distribution Patterns of Microbial Co-Occurring Species Across Different Grassland Types.Microorganisms · 2026Article
- The natural history of a biocrust architect, the cyanobacterium Microcoleus vaginatus.FEMS microbiology reviews · 2026Review
- Comparative genomics of space-resilientFEMS microbes · 2026Article
- A genome-resolved cyanobacterial consortium from the Atacama Desert reveals novel bacterial diversity, stress-resilience potential, chromatic flexibility, and photoprotection.Frontiers in bioengineering and biotechnology · 2026Article
- Pink powerhouses: insights into the multifaceted role of Methylobacterium in climate-resilient farming.Folia microbiologica · 2025Review
- Microbial Blue Bioprospecting: Exploring the Advances of Compounds Post-Discovery.Marine drugs · 2025Review
- Edible Fungi Melanin: Recent Advances in Extraction, Characterization, Biological Activity and Applications.Journal of fungi (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Nitrogen Substrate Impacts Microcystis aeruginosa Exometabolome Composition.Environmental microbiology reports · 2025Article
- Structure revision of scytonemin imine and its relationship to scytonemin chromism and cyanobacterial adaptability.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- "Button-on-a-String" Mechanism in Water, the Ultrafast UV-to-Heat Conversion by Mycosporine-like Amino Acid Porphyra-334 of Natural Sunscreen Compound.ACS physical chemistry Au · 2025Article
- Diversity of Bioactive Compounds in Microalgae: Key Classes and Functional Applications.Marine drugs · 2025Review
74 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Exposure to the shortest wavelengths in sunlight, ultraviolet light, constitutes a deleterious ecological factor for many microorganisms. The use of secondary metabolites as sunscreens has emerged as an important photoprotective mechanism in certain groups of large-celled microorganisms, such as cyanobacteria, fungi and many protists. In this Review, we describe our current understanding of microbial 'sunscreen' compounds, including scytonemin, the mycosporines and the naphthalene-based melanins. Study of these sunscreens has led to the discovery of new classes of compounds, new metabolic pathways, a deeper understanding of microbial photobiology and the potential for dermatological or biomedical applications.
Indexed as
Identifiers
21963801What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.