Protection Against Desiccation and UV light

Desiccation and intense sunlight are key ecological stressors for terrestrial green algae in biofilms. Gylletråd contains three protective carbohydrates: arabitol, erythritol, and trehalose. The first two help mitigate desiccation-induced stress. Trehalose, a disaccharide, is known to be produced by desiccation-tolerant organisms, as it stabilizes biomolecules in a dehydrated state.

In addition, gylletråd contains a novel UV-absorbing mycosporine-like amino acid (MAA).

The presence of three low-molecular-weight carbohydrates, along with a possibly unique MAA, explains the alga’s biochemical ability to tolerate desiccation and ultraviolet radiation.