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Zhou M, Ferl RJ, Paul AL. Light has a principal role in the Arabidopsis transcriptomic response to the spaceflight environment. NPJ Microgravity 2024; 10:82. [PMID: 39107298 PMCID: PMC11303767 DOI: 10.1038/s41526-024-00417-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 07/11/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024] Open
Abstract
The Characterizing Arabidopsis Root Attractions (CARA) spaceflight experiment provides comparative transcriptome analyses of plants grown in both light and dark conditions within the same spaceflight. CARA compared three genotypes of Arabidopsis grown in ambient light and in the dark on board the International Space Station (ISS); Col-0, Ws, and phyD, a phytochrome D mutant in the Col-0 background. In all genotypes, leaves responded to spaceflight with a higher number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) than root tips, and each genotype displayed distinct light / dark transcriptomic patterns that were unique to the spaceflight environment. The Col-0 leaves exhibited a substantial dichotomy, with ten-times as many spaceflight DEGs exhibited in light-grown plants versus dark-grown plants. Although the total number of DEGs in phyD leaves is not very different from Col-0, phyD altered the manner in which light-grown leaves respond to spaceflight, and many genes associated with the physiological adaptation of Col-0 to spaceflight were not represented. This result is in contrast to root tips, where a previous CARA study showed that phyD substantially reduced the number of DEGs. There were few DEGs, but a series of space-altered gene categories, common to genotypes and lighting conditions. This commonality indicates that key spaceflight genes are associated with signal transduction for light, defense, and oxidative stress responses. However, these key signaling pathways enriched from DEGs showed opposite regulatory direction in response to spaceflight under light and dark conditions, suggesting a complex interaction between light as a signal, and light-signaling genes in acclimation to spaceflight.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingqi Zhou
- Department of Horticultural Sciences, University of Florida, 2550 Hull Road, Fifield Hall, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Robert J Ferl
- Department of Horticultural Sciences, University of Florida, 2550 Hull Road, Fifield Hall, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA.
- UF Research, University of Florida, 1523 Union Rd, Grinter Hall, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA.
| | - Anna-Lisa Paul
- Department of Horticultural Sciences, University of Florida, 2550 Hull Road, Fifield Hall, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA.
- Interdisciplinary Center for Biotechnology Research, University of Florida, 2033 Mowry Road, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA.
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2
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Shahbazi M, Rutter LA, Barker R. Transcriptional response of Arabidopsis thaliana's root-tip to spaceflight. PLANT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2024; 114:79. [PMID: 38935184 DOI: 10.1007/s11103-024-01478-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
Plants are expected to play a critical role in the biological life support systems of crewed spaceflight missions, including in the context of upcoming missions targeting the Moon and Mars. Therefore, understanding the response of plants to spaceflight is essential for improving the selection and engineering of plants and spaceflight conditions. In particular, understanding the root-tip's response to spaceflight is of importance as it is the center of orchestrating the development of the root, the primary organ for the absorption of nutrients and anchorage. GLDS-120 is a pioneering study by Paul et al. that used transcriptomics to evaluate the spaceflight response of the root-tip of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana in dark and light through separate analyses of three genotype groups (Wassilewskija, Columbia-0, and Columbia-0 PhyD) and comparison of genotype responses. Here, we provide a complementary analysis of this dataset through a combined analysis of all samples while controlling for the genotypes in a paired analysis. We identified a robust transcriptional response to spaceflight with 622 DEGs in light and 200 DEGs in dark conditions. Gene enrichment analysis identified 37 and 13 significantly enriched terms from biological processes in light and dark conditions, respectively. Prominent enrichment for hypoxia-related terms in both conditions suggests hypoxia is a key stressor for root development during spaceflight. Additional enriched terms in light conditions include the circadian cycle, light response, and terms for the metabolism of flavonoid and indole-containing compounds. These results further our understanding of plants' responses to the spaceflight environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Shahbazi
- Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA.
| | - Lindsay A Rutter
- School of Chemistry, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Richard Barker
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
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3
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Willis CRG, Calvaruso M, Angeloni D, Baatout S, Benchoua A, Bereiter-Hahn J, Bottai D, Buchheim JI, Carnero-Diaz E, Castiglioni S, Cavalieri D, Ceccarelli G, Chouker A, Cialdai F, Ciofani G, Coppola G, Cusella G, Degl'Innocenti A, Desaphy JF, Frippiat JP, Gelinsky M, Genchi G, Grano M, Grimm D, Guignandon A, Herranz R, Hellweg C, Iorio CS, Karapantsios T, van Loon J, Lulli M, Maier J, Malda J, Mamaca E, Morbidelli L, Osterman A, Ovsianikov A, Pampaloni F, Pavezlorie E, Pereda-Campos V, Przybyla C, Rettberg P, Rizzo AM, Robson-Brown K, Rossi L, Russo G, Salvetti A, Risaliti C, Santucci D, Sperl M, Tabury K, Tavella S, Thielemann C, Willaert R, Monici M, Szewczyk NJ. How to obtain an integrated picture of the molecular networks involved in adaptation to microgravity in different biological systems? NPJ Microgravity 2024; 10:50. [PMID: 38693246 PMCID: PMC11063135 DOI: 10.1038/s41526-024-00395-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Periodically, the European Space Agency (ESA) updates scientific roadmaps in consultation with the scientific community. The ESA SciSpacE Science Community White Paper (SSCWP) 9, "Biology in Space and Analogue Environments", focusses in 5 main topic areas, aiming to address key community-identified knowledge gaps in Space Biology. Here we present one of the identified topic areas, which is also an unanswered question of life science research in Space: "How to Obtain an Integrated Picture of the Molecular Networks Involved in Adaptation to Microgravity in Different Biological Systems?" The manuscript reports the main gaps of knowledge which have been identified by the community in the above topic area as well as the approach the community indicates to address the gaps not yet bridged. Moreover, the relevance that these research activities might have for the space exploration programs and also for application in industrial and technological fields on Earth is briefly discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Craig R G Willis
- School of Chemistry and Biosciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Bradford, Bradford, United Kingdom
| | - Marco Calvaruso
- Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology, National Research Council (IBFM-CNR), Cefalù, Italy
| | - Debora Angeloni
- Institute of Biorobotics, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisa, Italy
| | - Sarah Baatout
- Laboratory of Radiobiology, Belgian Nuclear Research Centre, SCK CEN, Mol, Belgium
| | | | - Juergen Bereiter-Hahn
- Institute for Cell and Neurobiol. Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Daniele Bottai
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Judith-Irina Buchheim
- Laboratory "Translational Research, Stress & Immunity", LMU University Hospital Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Eugénie Carnero-Diaz
- Institute Systematic, Evolution, Biodiversity, Sorbonne University, NMNH, CNRS, EPHE, UA, Paris, France
| | - Sara Castiglioni
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Gabriele Ceccarelli
- Department of Public Health, Experimental Medicine and Forensic, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Alexander Chouker
- Laboratory "Translational Research, Stress & Immunity", LMU University Hospital Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Francesca Cialdai
- ASAcampus Joint Laboratory, ASA Res. Div., DSBSC-University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Gianni Ciofani
- Smart Bio-Interfaces, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 56025, Pontedera, PI, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Coppola
- Institue of Applied Science and Intelligent Sistems - CNR, Naples, Italy
| | - Gabriella Cusella
- Department of Public Health, Experimental Medicine and Forensic, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Andrea Degl'Innocenti
- Smart Bio-Interfaces, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 56025, Pontedera, PI, Italy
- Department of Medical Biotechnologies, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Jean-Francois Desaphy
- Department of Precision and Regenerative Medicine, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Bari, Italy
| | - Jean-Pol Frippiat
- Stress, Immunity, Pathogens Laboratory, SIMPA, Université de Lorraine, Nancy, France
| | - Michael Gelinsky
- Centre for Translational Bone, Joint & Soft Tissue Research, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Giada Genchi
- Smart Bio-Interfaces, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 56025, Pontedera, PI, Italy
| | - Maria Grano
- Department of Precision and Regenerative Medicine, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Bari, Italy
| | - Daniela Grimm
- Department of Microgravity and Translational Regenerative Medicine, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Alain Guignandon
- SAINBIOSE, INSERM U1059, Université Jean Monnet, F-42000, Saint-Etienne, France
| | - Raúl Herranz
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Christine Hellweg
- Radiation Biology Dept., Inst. of Aerospace Medicine, German Aerospace Center (DLR), Cologne, Germany
| | | | | | - Jack van Loon
- Amsterdam University Medical Center, ACTA/VU, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Matteo Lulli
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Jeanette Maier
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Jos Malda
- Department of Orthopaedics, Univ. Med. Center Utrecht & Dept. Clinical Sciences, Utrecht Univ, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Emina Mamaca
- European and International Affairs Dept, Ifremer centre Bretagne, Plouzané, France
| | | | - Andreas Osterman
- Max von Pettenkofer Institute, Virology, LMU Munich & DZIF, Partner Site Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Aleksandr Ovsianikov
- 3D Printing and Biofabrication, Inst. Materials Science and Technology, TU Wien, Vienna, Austria
| | - Francesco Pampaloni
- Buchmann Inst. for Molecular Life Sciences, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Elizabeth Pavezlorie
- Ludwig Boltzmann Inst. for Traumatology, Res. Center in Cooperation with AUVA, Vienna, Austria
| | - Veronica Pereda-Campos
- GSBMS/URU EVOLSAN - Medecine Evolutive, Université Paul Sabatier Toulouse III, Toulouse, France
| | - Cyrille Przybyla
- MARBEC, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Ifremer, IRD, Palavas les Flots, France
| | - Petra Rettberg
- DLR, Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Research Group Astrobiology, Köln, Germany
| | - Angela Maria Rizzo
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Kate Robson-Brown
- Department of Engineering Mathematics, and Dept of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Leonardo Rossi
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Giorgio Russo
- Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology, National Research Council (IBFM-CNR), Cefalù, Italy
| | - Alessandra Salvetti
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Chiara Risaliti
- ASAcampus Joint Laboratory, ASA Res. Div., DSBSC-University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Daniela Santucci
- Center for Behavioural Sciences and Mental Health, Ist. Superiore Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Kevin Tabury
- Laboratory of Radiobiology, Belgian Nuclear Research Centre, SCK CEN, Mol, Belgium
| | - Sara Tavella
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino and University of Genoa, DIMES, Genoa, Italy
| | | | - Ronnie Willaert
- Research Group NAMI and NANO, Vrije Universiteit Brussels, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Monica Monici
- ASAcampus Joint Laboratory, ASA Res. Div., DSBSC-University of Florence, Florence, Italy
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Land ES, Sheppard J, Doherty CJ, Perera IY. Conserved plant transcriptional responses to microgravity from two consecutive spaceflight experiments. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2024; 14:1308713. [PMID: 38259952 PMCID: PMC10800490 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1308713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Introduction Understanding how plants adapt to the space environment is essential, as plants will be a valuable component of long duration space missions. Several spaceflight experiments have focused on transcriptional profiling as a means of understanding plant adaptation to microgravity. However, there is limited overlap between results from different experiments. Differences in experimental conditions and hardware make it difficult to find a consistent response across experiments and to distinguish the primary effects of microgravity from other spaceflight effects. Methods Plant Signaling (PS) and Plant RNA Regulation (PRR) were two separate spaceflight experiments conducted on the International Space Station utilizing the European Modular Cultivation System (EMCS). The EMCS provided a lighted environment for plant growth with centrifugal capabilities providing an onboard 1 g control. Results and discussion An RNA-Seq analysis of shoot samples from PS and PRR revealed a significant overlap of genes differentially expressed in microgravity between the two experiments. Relative to onboard 1 g controls, genes involved in transcriptional regulation, shoot development, and response to auxin and light were upregulated in microgravity in both experiments. Conversely, genes involved in defense response, abiotic stress, Ca++ signaling, and cell wall modification were commonly downregulated in both datasets. The downregulation of stress responses in microgravity in these two experiments is interesting as these pathways have been previously observed as upregulated in spaceflight compared to ground controls. Similarly, we have observed many stress response genes to be upregulated in the 1 g onboard control compared to ground reference controls; however these genes were specifically downregulated in microgravity. In addition, we analyzed the sRNA landscape of the 1 g and microgravity (μ g) shoot samples from PRR. We identified three miRNAs (miR319c, miR398b, and miR8683) which were upregulated in microgravity, while several of their corresponding target genes were found to be downregulated in microgravity. Interestingly, the downregulated target genes are enriched in those encoding chloroplast-localized enzymes and proteins. These results uncover microgravity unique transcriptional changes and highlight the validity and importance of an onboard 1 g control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric S. Land
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States
| | - James Sheppard
- Department of Molecular and Structural Biochemistry, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States
| | - Colleen J. Doherty
- Department of Molecular and Structural Biochemistry, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States
| | - Imara Y. Perera
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States
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5
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Ferl RJ, Zhou M, Strickland HF, Haveman NJ, Callaham JB, Bandla S, Ambriz D, Paul AL. Transcriptomic dynamics in the transition from ground to space are revealed by Virgin Galactic human-tended suborbital spaceflight. NPJ Microgravity 2023; 9:95. [PMID: 38123588 PMCID: PMC10733374 DOI: 10.1038/s41526-023-00340-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The Virgin Galactic Unity 22 mission conducted the first astronaut-manipulated suborbital spaceflight experiment. The experiment examined the operationalization of Kennedy Space Center Fixation Tubes (KFTs) as a generalizable approach to preserving biology at various phases of suborbital flight. The biology chosen for this experiment was Arabidopsis thaliana, ecotype Col-0, because of the plant history of spaceflight experimentation within KFTs and wealth of comparative data from orbital experiments. KFTs were deployed as a wearable device, a leg pouch attached to the astronaut, which proved to be operationally effective during the course of the flight. Data from the inflight samples indicated that the microgravity period of the flight elicited the strongest transcriptomic responses as measured by the number of genes showing differential expression. Genes related to reactive oxygen species and stress, as well as genes associated with orbital spaceflight, were highly represented among the suborbital gene expression profile. In addition, gene families largely unaffected in orbital spaceflight were diversely regulated in suborbital flight, including stress-responsive transcription factors. The human-tended suborbital experiment demonstrated the operational effectiveness of the KFTs in suborbital flight and suggests that rapid transcriptomic responses are a part of the temporal dynamics at the beginning of physiological adaptation to spaceflight.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J Ferl
- Department of Horticultural Sciences, University of Florida, 2550 Hull Road, Fifield Hall, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA.
- UF Research, University of Florida, 1523 Union Rd, Grinter Hall, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA.
| | - Mingqi Zhou
- Department of Horticultural Sciences, University of Florida, 2550 Hull Road, Fifield Hall, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Hunter F Strickland
- Department of Horticultural Sciences, University of Florida, 2550 Hull Road, Fifield Hall, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
- Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, University of Florida, 2550 Hull Road, Fifield Hall, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Natasha J Haveman
- Department of Horticultural Sciences, University of Florida, 2550 Hull Road, Fifield Hall, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Jordan B Callaham
- Department of Horticultural Sciences, University of Florida, 2550 Hull Road, Fifield Hall, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Sirisha Bandla
- Virgin Galactic, 1700 Flight Way, 3rd Floor, Tustin, CA, 92782, USA
| | - Daniel Ambriz
- Virgin Galactic, 1700 Flight Way, 3rd Floor, Tustin, CA, 92782, USA
| | - Anna-Lisa Paul
- Department of Horticultural Sciences, University of Florida, 2550 Hull Road, Fifield Hall, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA.
- Interdisciplinary Center for Biotechnology Research, University of Florida, 2033 Mowry Road, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA.
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De Micco V, Aronne G, Caplin N, Carnero-Diaz E, Herranz R, Horemans N, Legué V, Medina FJ, Pereda-Loth V, Schiefloe M, De Francesco S, Izzo LG, Le Disquet I, Kittang Jost AI. Perspectives for plant biology in space and analogue environments. NPJ Microgravity 2023; 9:67. [PMID: 37604914 PMCID: PMC10442387 DOI: 10.1038/s41526-023-00315-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Advancements in plant space biology are required for the realization of human space exploration missions, where the re-supply of resources from Earth is not feasible. Until a few decades ago, space life science was focused on the impact of the space environment on the human body. More recently, the interest in plant space biology has increased because plants are key organisms in Bioregenerative Life Support Systems (BLSS) for the regeneration of resources and fresh food production. Moreover, plants play an important role in psychological support for astronauts. The definition of cultivation requirements for the design, realization, and successful operation of BLSS must consider the effects of space factors on plants. Altered gravitational fields and radiation exposure are the main space factors inducing changes in gene expression, cell proliferation and differentiation, signalling and physiological processes with possible consequences on tissue organization and organogenesis, thus on the whole plant functioning. Interestingly, the changes at the cellular and molecular levels do not always result in organismic or developmental changes. This apparent paradox is a current research challenge. In this paper, the main findings of gravity- and radiation-related research on higher plants are summarized, highlighting the knowledge gaps that are still necessary to fill. Existing experimental facilities to simulate the effect of space factors, as well as requirements for future facilities for possible experiments to achieve fundamental biology goals are considered. Finally, the need for making synergies among disciplines and for establishing global standard operating procedures for analyses and data collection in space experiments is highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica De Micco
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, via Università 100, 80055, Portici (NA), Italy.
| | - Giovanna Aronne
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, via Università 100, 80055, Portici (NA), Italy
| | - Nicol Caplin
- SciSpacE Team, Directorate of Human and Robotic Exploration Programmes, European Space Agency (ESA), Noordwijk, Netherlands
| | - Eugénie Carnero-Diaz
- Institute of Systematic, Evolution, Biodiversity, Sorbonne University, National Museum of Natural History, CNRS, EPHE, UA, 45, rue Buffon CP50, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Raúl Herranz
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas - CSIC, Ramiro de Maeztu 9, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Nele Horemans
- Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK CEN), Biosphere Impact Studies (BIS), Boeretang 200, 2400, Mol, Belgium
| | - Valérie Legué
- Université Clermont Auvergne, INRAE, PIAF, F-63000, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - F Javier Medina
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas - CSIC, Ramiro de Maeztu 9, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Mona Schiefloe
- NTNU Social Research, Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Space (CIRiS) Dragvoll Allé 38 B, 7049, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Sara De Francesco
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, via Università 100, 80055, Portici (NA), Italy
| | - Luigi Gennaro Izzo
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, via Università 100, 80055, Portici (NA), Italy
| | - Isabel Le Disquet
- Institute of Systematic, Evolution, Biodiversity, Sorbonne University, National Museum of Natural History, CNRS, EPHE, UA, 45, rue Buffon CP50, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Ann- Iren Kittang Jost
- NTNU Social Research, Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Space (CIRiS) Dragvoll Allé 38 B, 7049, Trondheim, Norway
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Ritz M, Ahmad N, Brueck T, Mehlmer N. Differential RNA-Seq Analysis Predicts Genes Related to Terpene Tailoring in Caryopteris × clandonensis. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:2305. [PMID: 37375930 DOI: 10.3390/plants12122305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Revised: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
Enzymatic terpene functionalization is an essential part of plant secondary metabolite diversity. Within this, multiple terpene-modifying enzymes are required to enable the chemical diversity of volatile compounds essential in plant communication and defense. This work sheds light on the differentially transcribed genes within Caryopteris × clandonensis that are capable of functionalizing cyclic terpene scaffolds, which are the product of terpene cyclase action. The available genomic reference was subjected to further improvements to provide a comprehensive basis, where the number of contigs was minimized. RNA-Seq data of six cultivars, Dark Knight, Grand Bleu, Good as Gold, Hint of Gold, Pink Perfection, and Sunny Blue, were mapped on the reference, and their distinct transcription profile investigated. Within this data resource, we detected interesting variations and additionally genes with high and low transcript abundancies in leaves of Caryopteris × clandonensis related to terpene functionalization. As previously described, different cultivars vary in their modification of monoterpenes, especially limonene, resulting in different limonene-derived molecules. This study focuses on predicting the cytochrome p450 enzymes underlying this varied transcription pattern between investigated samples. Thus, making them a reasonable explanation for terpenoid differences between these plants. Furthermore, these data provide the basis for functional assays and the verification of putative enzyme activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manfred Ritz
- Werner Siemens Chair of Synthetic Biotechnology, Department of Chemistry, Technical University of Munich (TUM), 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - Nadim Ahmad
- Werner Siemens Chair of Synthetic Biotechnology, Department of Chemistry, Technical University of Munich (TUM), 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - Thomas Brueck
- Werner Siemens Chair of Synthetic Biotechnology, Department of Chemistry, Technical University of Munich (TUM), 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - Norbert Mehlmer
- Werner Siemens Chair of Synthetic Biotechnology, Department of Chemistry, Technical University of Munich (TUM), 85748 Garching, Germany
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8
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Haveman NJ, Zhou M, Callaham J, Strickland HF, Houze D, Manning-Roach S, Newsham G, Paul AL, Ferl RJ. Utilizing the KSC Fixation Tube to Conduct Human-Tended Plant Biology Experiments on a Suborbital Spaceflight. LIFE (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 12:life12111871. [PMID: 36431005 PMCID: PMC9693084 DOI: 10.3390/life12111871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Suborbital spaceflights now enable human-tended research investigating short-term gravitational effects in biological systems, eliminating the need for complex automation. Here, we discuss a method utilizing KSC Fixation Tubes (KFTs) to both carry biology to suborbital space as well as fix that biology at certain stages of flight. Plants on support media were inserted into the sample side of KFTs preloaded with RNAlater in the fixation chamber. The KFTs were activated at various stages of a simulated flight to fix the plants. RNA-seq analysis conducted on tissue samples housed in KFTs, showed that plants behaved consistently in KFTs when compared to petri-plates. Over the time course, roots adjusted to hypoxia and leaves adjusted to changes in photosynthesis. These responses were due in part to the environment imposed by the encased triple containment of the KFTs, which is a requirement for flight in human spacecraft. While plants exhibited expected reproducible transcriptomic alteration over time in the KFTs, responses to clinorotation during the simulated flight suggest that transcriptomic responses to suborbital spaceflight can be examined using this approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natasha J. Haveman
- Department of Horticultural Sciences, University of Florida, 2550 Hull Road, Fifield Hall, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Mingqi Zhou
- Department of Horticultural Sciences, University of Florida, 2550 Hull Road, Fifield Hall, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Jordan Callaham
- Department of Horticultural Sciences, University of Florida, 2550 Hull Road, Fifield Hall, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Hunter F. Strickland
- Department of Horticultural Sciences, University of Florida, 2550 Hull Road, Fifield Hall, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
- Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, University of Florida, 2550 Hull Road, Fifield Hall, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Donald Houze
- Aegis Aerospace Inc., Kennedy Space Center, Merritt Island, FL 32889, USA
| | | | - Gerard Newsham
- Consolidated Safety Services, Inc., Merritt Island, FL 32953, USA
| | - Anna-Lisa Paul
- Department of Horticultural Sciences, University of Florida, 2550 Hull Road, Fifield Hall, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
- Interdisciplinary Center for Biotechnology Research, University of Florida, 2033 Mowry Road, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
- Correspondence: (A.-L.P.); (R.J.F.)
| | - Robert J. Ferl
- Department of Horticultural Sciences, University of Florida, 2550 Hull Road, Fifield Hall, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
- Office of Research, University of Florida, 1523 Union Rd, Grinter Hall, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
- Correspondence: (A.-L.P.); (R.J.F.)
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Red Light Enhances Plant Adaptation to Spaceflight and Mars g-Levels. Life (Basel) 2022; 12:life12101484. [PMID: 36294919 PMCID: PMC9605285 DOI: 10.3390/life12101484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Revised: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding how plants respond and adapt to extraterrestrial conditions is essential for space exploration initiatives. Deleterious effects of the space environment on plant development have been reported, such as the unbalance of cell growth and proliferation in the root meristem, or gene expression reprogramming. However, plants are capable of surviving and completing the seed-to-seed life cycle under microgravity. A key research challenge is to identify environmental cues, such as light, which could compensate the negative effects of microgravity. Understanding the crosstalk between light and gravity sensing in space was the major objective of the NASA-ESA Seedling Growth series of spaceflight experiments (2013–2018). Different g-levels were used, with special attention to micro-g, Mars-g, and Earth-g. In spaceflight seedlings illuminated for 4 days with a white light photoperiod and then photostimulated with red light for 2 days, transcriptomic studies showed, first, that red light partially reverted the gene reprogramming induced by microgravity, and that the combination of microgravity and photoactivation was not recognized by seedlings as stressful. Two mutant lines of the nucleolar protein nucleolin exhibited differential requirements in response to red light photoactivation. This observation opens the way to directed-mutagenesis strategies in crop design to be used in space colonization. Further transcriptomic studies at different g-levels showed elevated plastid and mitochondrial genome expression in microgravity, associated with disturbed nucleus–organelle communication, and the upregulation of genes encoding auxin and cytokinin hormonal pathways. At the Mars g-level, genes of hormone pathways related to stress response were activated, together with some transcription factors specifically related to acclimation, suggesting that seedlings grown in partial-g are able to acclimate by modulating genome expression in routes related to space-environment-associated stress.
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