Desert cyanobacteria prepare in advance for dehydration and rewetting: The role of light and temperature sensing

Cyanobacteria inhabiting desert biological soil crusts cope daily with one of the harshest ecosystems on Earth. It is believed that through evolution they have acquired mechanisms allowing them to adapt to rapid and extreme changes in their environmental conditions. We show that early morning light and rising temperature are the cues preparing them, by a well regulated genetic program, to the forthcoming dehydration and high noon temperatures in the desert ecosystem.