Cellular changes associated with the acclimation of the intertidal sea anemone Actinia tenebrosa to ultraviolet radiation.

To assess the relative importance of long- and short-term cellular defense mechanisms in seasonally UV-R-acclimated Actinia tenebrosa (Anthozoa, Actiniidae), individuals were exposed to summer doses of PAR, UV-A, UV-B and enhanced UV-B (20%) for a period of 4 days. Mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs) and cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer (CPD) concentrations were quantified, while oxidative damage to lipids and proteins, and the activities or levels of the antioxidant enzymes SOD, CAT, GR, GPOX and total glutathione were determined. Our results show that summer UV-R-acclimated individuals had a higher UV-R tolerance, with no significant increases in CPDs levels, than winter-acclimated sea anemones possibly due to higher MAA concentrations. Summer-acclimated individuals showed increased lipid and protein oxidation and GPOX activity only when they were exposed to UV-B at 20% above ambient UV-R levels. In contrast, winter-acclimated sea anemones showed elevated levels of oxidative damage, GPOX and SOD activities after exposure to UV-A or UV-B at ambient and elevated levels. Thus, this study indicates that long-term UV-R acclimation mechanisms such as the accumulation of MAAs could be more important than short-term increases in antioxidant defenses with respect to reducing indirect UV-R damage in intertidal sea anemones.