The terrestrial cyanobacterium Nostoc commune is an anhydrobiotic organism with extreme longevity. Recovery of photosynthesis by rehydration was examined using our laboratory stocks of dry N. commune thalli after long-term storage in a desiccated state. In the samples stored at room temperature for over 8 years, photosynthetic oxygen evolution was barely detectable, whereas oxygen consumption was recovered. There was an exceptional case in which photosynthetic oxygen evolution recovered after 8 years of storage at room temperature. Both photosynthetic oxygen evolution and respiratory oxygen consumption were recovered in dry thalli stored at -20°C for over 15 years. Consistent with the recovery of photosynthetic oxygen evolution, Fv/Fm was detected in the samples stored at -20°C at levels similar to those of freshly collected N. commune colonies. Carotenoids, scytonemin and chlorophyll a appeared to be intact in the dry thalli stored at -20°C, but β-carotene was not detected in the samples stored at room temperature. α-Tocopherol was intact in the samples stored at -20°C but was degraded in the samples stored at room temperature. These results suggest that dry thalli of N. commune are capable of sustaining biological activities for a long time, although they are gradually damaged when stored at room temperature.
Keywords: anhydrobiosis; antioxidant; carotenoid; desiccation tolerance; tocopherol.