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Nickerson CA, McLean RJC, Barrila J, Yang J, Thornhill SG, Banken LL, Porterfield DM, Poste G, Pellis NR, Ott CM. Microbiology of human spaceflight: microbial responses to mechanical forces that impact health and habitat sustainability. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 2024:e0014423. [PMID: 39158275 DOI: 10.1128/mmbr.00144-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/20/2024] Open
Abstract
SUMMARYUnderstanding the dynamic adaptive plasticity of microorganisms has been advanced by studying their responses to extreme environments. Spaceflight research platforms provide a unique opportunity to study microbial characteristics in new extreme adaptational modes, including sustained exposure to reduced forces of gravity and associated low fluid shear force conditions. Under these conditions, unexpected microbial responses occur, including alterations in virulence, antibiotic and stress resistance, biofilm formation, metabolism, motility, and gene expression, which are not observed using conventional experimental approaches. Here, we review biological and physical mechanisms that regulate microbial responses to spaceflight and spaceflight analog environments from both the microbe and host-microbe perspective that are relevant to human health and habitat sustainability. We highlight instrumentation and technology used in spaceflight microbiology experiments, their limitations, and advances necessary to enable next-generation research. As spaceflight experiments are relatively rare, we discuss ground-based analogs that mimic aspects of microbial responses to reduced gravity in spaceflight, including those that reduce mechanical forces of fluid flow over cell surfaces which also simulate conditions encountered by microorganisms during their terrestrial lifecycles. As spaceflight mission durations increase with traditional astronauts and commercial space programs send civilian crews with underlying health conditions, microorganisms will continue to play increasingly critical roles in health and habitat sustainability, thus defining a new dimension of occupational health. The ability of microorganisms to adapt, survive, and evolve in the spaceflight environment is important for future human space endeavors and provides opportunities for innovative biological and technological advances to benefit life on Earth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheryl A Nickerson
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
- Biodesign Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Robert J C McLean
- Department of Biology, Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas, USA
| | - Jennifer Barrila
- Biodesign Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Jiseon Yang
- Biodesign Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | | | - Laura L Banken
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
- Biodesign Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - D Marshall Porterfield
- Department of Agricultural & Biological Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| | - George Poste
- Complex Adaptive Systems Initiative, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | | | - C Mark Ott
- Biomedical Research and Environmental Sciences Division, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas, USA
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Melian C, Ploper D, Chehín R, Vignolo G, Castellano P. Impairment of Listeria monocytogenes biofilm developed on industrial surfaces by Latilactobacillus curvatus CRL1579 bacteriocin. Food Microbiol 2024; 121:104491. [PMID: 38637093 DOI: 10.1016/j.fm.2024.104491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2024] [Revised: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
The effect of lactocin AL705, bacteriocin produced by Latilactobacillus (Lat.) curvatus CRL1579 against Listeria biofilms on stainless steel (SS) and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) coupons at 10 °C was investigated. L. monocytogenes FBUNT showed the greatest adhesion on both surfaces associated to the hydrophobicity of cell surface. Partially purified bacteriocin (800 UA/mL) effectively inhibited L. monocytogenes preformed biofilm through displacement strategy, reducing the pathogen by 5.54 ± 0.26 and 4.74 ± 0.05 log cycles at 3 and 6 days, respectively. The bacteriocin-producer decreased the pathogen biofilm by ∼2.84 log cycles. Control and Bac- treated samples reached cell counts of 7.05 ± 0.18 and 6.79 ± 0.06 log CFU/cm2 after 6 days of incubation. Confocal scanning laser microscopy (CLSM) allowed visualizing the inhibitory effect of lactocin AL705 on L. monocytogenes preformed biofilms under static and hydrodynamic flow conditions. A greater effect of the bacteriocin was found at 3 days independently of the surface matrix and pathogen growth conditions at 10 °C. As a more realistic approach, biofilm displacement strategy under continuous flow conditions showed a significant loss of biomass, mean thickness and substratum coverage of pathogen biofilm. These findings highlight the anti-biofilm capacity of lactocin AL705 and their potential application in food industries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Constanza Melian
- Centro de Referencia para Lactobacilos (CERELA-CONICET), Chacabuco 145, T4000ILC, Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Diego Ploper
- IMMCA (Instituto de Investigación en Medicina Molecular y Celular Aplicada, CONICET-Universidad Nacional de Tucumán-Ministerio de Salud Pública, Gobierno de Tucumán, Pje. Dorrego 1080, San Miguel de Tucumán, 4000, Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Rosana Chehín
- IMMCA (Instituto de Investigación en Medicina Molecular y Celular Aplicada, CONICET-Universidad Nacional de Tucumán-Ministerio de Salud Pública, Gobierno de Tucumán, Pje. Dorrego 1080, San Miguel de Tucumán, 4000, Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Graciela Vignolo
- Centro de Referencia para Lactobacilos (CERELA-CONICET), Chacabuco 145, T4000ILC, Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Patricia Castellano
- Centro de Referencia para Lactobacilos (CERELA-CONICET), Chacabuco 145, T4000ILC, Tucumán, Argentina.
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Gestal MC, Oates AE, Akob DM, Criss AK. Perspectives on the future of host-microbe biology from the Council on Microbial Sciences of the American Society for Microbiology. mSphere 2024; 9:e0025624. [PMID: 38920371 PMCID: PMC11288050 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00256-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Host-microbe biology (HMB) stands on the cusp of redefinition, challenging conventional paradigms to instead embrace a more holistic understanding of the microbial sciences. The American Society for Microbiology (ASM) Council on Microbial Sciences hosted a virtual retreat in 2023 to identify the future of the HMB field and innovations needed to advance the microbial sciences. The retreat presentations and discussions collectively emphasized the interconnectedness of microbes and their profound influence on humans, animals, and environmental health, as well as the need to broaden perspectives to fully embrace the complexity of these interactions. To advance HMB research, microbial scientists would benefit from enhancing interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research to utilize expertise in diverse fields, integrate different disciplines, and promote equity and accessibility within HMB. Data integration will be pivotal in shaping the future of HMB research by bringing together varied scientific perspectives, new and innovative techniques, and 'omics approaches. ASM can empower under-resourced groups with the goal of ensuring that the benefits of cutting-edge research reach every corner of the scientific community. Thus, ASM will be poised to steer HMB toward a future that champions inclusivity, innovation, and accessible scientific progress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica C. Gestal
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center at Shreveport, Shreveport, Louisiana, USA
| | | | - Denise M. Akob
- U.S. Geological Survey, Geology, Energy and Minerals Science Center, Reston, Virginia, USA
| | - Alison K. Criss
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Host-Microbe Retreat Planning CommitteeFidel, Jr.Paul L.1WatnickPaula I.2YoungVincent B.3ZackularJoseph4Department of Oral and Craniofacial Biology, Louisiana State University Health, New Orleans, Louisiana, USADivision of Infectious Diseases, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USADepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USAInstitute for Immunology and Immune Health, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center at Shreveport, Shreveport, Louisiana, USA
- American Society for Microbiology, Washington, DC, USA
- U.S. Geological Survey, Geology, Energy and Minerals Science Center, Reston, Virginia, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Host-Microbe Retreat SpeakersCasadevallArturo1GibbonsSean M.2HuffnagleGary B.3McFall-NgaiMargaret4NewmanDianne K.5NickersonCheryl A.6Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USAInstitute for Systems Biology, Seattle, Washington, USADepartment of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USAPacific Biosciences Research Center, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, Hawaii, USADivision of Biology and Biological Engineering, Caltech, Pasadena, California, USASchool of Life Sciences, Biodesign Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics, Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center at Shreveport, Shreveport, Louisiana, USA
- American Society for Microbiology, Washington, DC, USA
- U.S. Geological Survey, Geology, Energy and Minerals Science Center, Reston, Virginia, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
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Duscher AA, Vroom MM, Foster JS. Impact of modeled microgravity stress on innate immunity in a beneficial animal-microbe symbiosis. Sci Rep 2024; 14:2912. [PMID: 38316910 PMCID: PMC10844198 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-53477-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
The innate immune response is the first line of defense for all animals to not only detect invading microbes and toxins but also sense and interface with the environment. One such environment that can significantly affect innate immunity is spaceflight. In this study, we explored the impact of microgravity stress on key elements of the NFκB innate immune pathway. The symbiosis between the bobtail squid Euprymna scolopes and its beneficial symbiont Vibrio fischeri was used as a model system under a simulated microgravity environment. The expression of genes associated with the NFκB pathway was monitored over time as the symbiosis progressed. Results revealed that although the onset of the symbiosis was the major driver in the differential expression of NFκB signaling, the stress of simulated low-shear microgravity also caused a dysregulation of expression. Several genes were expressed at earlier time points suggesting that elements of the E. scolopes NFκB pathway are stress-inducible, whereas expression of other pathway components was delayed. The results provide new insights into the role of NFκB signaling in the squid-vibrio symbiosis, and how the stress of microgravity negatively impacts the host immune response. Together, these results provide a foundation to develop mitigation strategies to maintain host-microbe homeostasis during spaceflight.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandrea A Duscher
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, Space Life Science Lab, University of Florida, Merritt Island, FL, 32953, USA
- Chesapeake Bay Governor's School, Warsaw, VA, 22572, USA
| | - Madeline M Vroom
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, Space Life Science Lab, University of Florida, Merritt Island, FL, 32953, USA
- Vaxxinity, Space Life Sciences Lab, Merritt Island, FL, 32953, USA
| | - Jamie S Foster
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, Space Life Science Lab, University of Florida, Merritt Island, FL, 32953, USA.
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Yang J, Barrila J, Nauman EA, Nydam SD, Yang S, Park J, Gutierrez-Jensen AD, Castro CL, Ott CM, Buss K, Steel J, Zakrajsek AD, Schuff MM, Nickerson CA. Incremental increases in physiological fluid shear progressively alter pathogenic phenotypes and gene expression in multidrug resistant Salmonella. Gut Microbes 2024; 16:2357767. [PMID: 38783686 PMCID: PMC11135960 DOI: 10.1080/19490976.2024.2357767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The ability of bacteria to sense and respond to mechanical forces has important implications for pathogens during infection, as they experience wide fluid shear fluctuations in the host. However, little is known about how mechanical forces encountered in the infected host drive microbial pathogenesis. Herein, we combined mathematical modeling with hydrodynamic bacterial culture to profile transcriptomic and pathogenesis-related phenotypes of multidrug resistant S. Typhimurium (ST313 D23580) under different fluid shear conditions relevant to its transition from the intestinal tract to the bloodstream. We report that D23580 exhibited incremental changes in transcriptomic profiles that correlated with its pathogenic phenotypes in response to these progressive increases in fluid shear. This is the first demonstration that incremental changes in fluid shear forces alter stress responses and gene expression in any ST313 strain and offers mechanistic insight into how forces encountered by bacteria during infection might impact their disease-causing ability in unexpected ways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiseon Yang
- Biodesign Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- Biodesign Center for Immunotherapy, Vaccines and Virotherapy, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Jennifer Barrila
- Biodesign Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- Biodesign Center for Immunotherapy, Vaccines and Virotherapy, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Eric A. Nauman
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Seth D. Nydam
- Department of Animal Care & Technologies, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Shanshan Yang
- Bioinformatics Core Facility, Bioscience, Knowledge Enterprise, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Jin Park
- Biodesign Center for Personalized Diagnostics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Ami D. Gutierrez-Jensen
- Biodesign Center for Immunotherapy, Vaccines and Virotherapy, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Christian L. Castro
- Biodesign Center for Immunotherapy, Vaccines and Virotherapy, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- JES Tech, Houston, TX, USA
| | - C. Mark Ott
- Biomedical Research and Environmental Sciences Division, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Kristina Buss
- Bioinformatics Core Facility, Bioscience, Knowledge Enterprise, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- Biodesign Center for Personalized Diagnostics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Jason Steel
- Bioinformatics Core Facility, Bioscience, Knowledge Enterprise, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- Biodesign Center for Personalized Diagnostics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Anne D. Zakrajsek
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Mary M. Schuff
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Cheryl A. Nickerson
- Biodesign Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- Biodesign Center for Immunotherapy, Vaccines and Virotherapy, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
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6
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Murali A, Sarkar RR. Mechano-immunology in microgravity. LIFE SCIENCES IN SPACE RESEARCH 2023; 37:50-64. [PMID: 37087179 DOI: 10.1016/j.lssr.2023.03.001] [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: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Life on Earth has evolved to thrive in the Earth's natural gravitational field; however, as space technology advances, we must revisit and investigate the effects of unnatural conditions on human health, such as gravitational change. Studies have shown that microgravity has a negative impact on various systemic parts of humans, with the effects being more severe in the human immune system. Increasing costs, limited experimental time, and sample handling issues hampered our understanding of this field. To address the existing knowledge gap and provide confidence in modelling the phenomena, in this review, we highlight experimental works in mechano-immunology under microgravity and different computational modelling approaches that can be used to address the existing problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anirudh Murali
- Chemical Engineering and Process Development, CSIR - National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India
| | - Ram Rup Sarkar
- Chemical Engineering and Process Development, CSIR - National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India.
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7
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Gesztesi J, Broddrick JT, Lannin T, Lee JA. The chemical neighborhood of cells in a diffusion-limited system. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1155726. [PMID: 37143535 PMCID: PMC10151505 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1155726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Microorganisms follow us everywhere, and they will be essential to sustaining long-term human space exploration through applications such as vitamin synthesis, biomining, and more. Establishing a sustainable presence in space therefore requires that we better understand how stress due to the altered physical conditions of spaceflight affects our companion organisms. In microgravity environments such as orbital space stations, microorganisms likely experience the change in gravity primarily through changes in fluid mixing processes. Without sedimentation and density-driven convection, diffusion becomes the primary process governing the movement of growth substrates and wastes for microbial cells in suspension culture. Non-motile cells might therefore develop a substrate-deficient "zone of depletion" and experience stress due to starvation and/or waste build-up. This would in turn impact the concentration-dependent uptake rate of growth substrates and could be the cause of the altered growth rates previously observed in microorganisms in spaceflight and in ground-simulated microgravity. To better understand the extent of these concentration differences and their potential influence on substrate uptake rates, we used both an analytical solution and finite difference method to visualize concentration fields around individual cells. We modeled diffusion, using Fick's Second Law, and nutrient uptake, using Michaelis-Menten kinetics, and assessed how that distribution varies in systems with multiple cells and varied geometries. We determined the radius of the zone of depletion, within which cells had reduced the substrate concentration by 10%, to be 5.04 mm for an individual Escherichia coli cell in the conditions we simulated. However, we saw a synergistic effect with multiple cells near each other: multiple cells in close proximity decreased the surrounding concentration by almost 95% from the initial substrate concentration. Our calculations provide researchers an inside look at suspension culture behavior in the diffusion-limited environment of microgravity at the scale of individual cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliana Gesztesi
- NASA Ames Research Center, Universities Space Research Association, Moffett Field, CA, United States
- College of Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Jared T. Broddrick
- NASA Ames Research Center, Space Biosciences Research Branch, Moffett Field, CA, United States
| | - Timothy Lannin
- College of Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Jessica A. Lee
- NASA Ames Research Center, Space Biosciences Research Branch, Moffett Field, CA, United States
- *Correspondence: Jessica A. Lee,
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Role of RpoS in Regulating Stationary Phase Salmonella Typhimurium Pathogenesis-Related Stress Responses under Physiological Low Fluid Shear Force Conditions. mSphere 2022; 7:e0021022. [PMID: 35913142 PMCID: PMC9429890 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00210-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The discovery that biomechanical forces regulate microbial virulence was established with the finding that physiological low fluid shear (LFS) forces altered gene expression, stress responses, and virulence of the enteric pathogen Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium during the log phase. These log phase LFS-induced phenotypes were independent of the master stress response regulator, RpoS (σS). Given the central importance of RpoS in regulating stationary-phase stress responses of S. Typhimurium cultured under conventional shake flask and static conditions, we examined its role in stationary-phase cultures grown under physiological LFS. We constructed an isogenic rpoS mutant derivative of wild-type S. Typhimurium and compared the ability of these strains to survive in vitro pathogenesis-related stresses that mimic those encountered in the infected host and environment. We also compared the ability of these strains to colonize (adhere, invade, and survive within) human intestinal epithelial cell cultures. Unexpectedly, LFS-induced resistance of stationary-phase S. Typhimurium cultures to acid and bile salts stresses did not rely on RpoS. Likewise, RpoS was dispensable for stationary-phase LFS cultures to adhere to and survive within intestinal epithelial cells. In contrast, the resistance of these cultures to challenges of oxidative and thermal stresses, and their invasion into intestinal epithelial cells was influenced by RpoS. These findings expand our mechanistic understanding of how physiological fluid shear forces modulate stationary-phase S. Typhimurium physiology in unexpected ways and provide clues into microbial mechanobiology and nuances of Salmonella responses to microenvironmental niches in the infected host. IMPORTANCE Bacterial pathogens respond dynamically to a variety of stresses in the infected host, including physical forces of fluid flow (fluid shear) across their surfaces. While pathogens experience wide fluctuations in fluid shear during infection, little is known about how these forces regulate microbial pathogenesis. This is especially important for stationary-phase bacterial growth, which is a critical period to understand microbial resistance, survival, and infection potential, and is regulated in many bacteria by the general stationary-phase stress response protein RpoS. Here, we showed that, unlike conventional culture conditions, several stationary-phase Salmonella pathogenic stress responses were not impacted by RpoS when bacteria were cultured under fluid shear conditions relevant to those encountered in the intestine of the infected host. These findings offer new insight into how physiological fluid shear forces encountered by Salmonella during infection might impact pathogenic responses in unexpected ways that are relevant to their disease-causing ability.
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Topolski C, Divo E, Li X, Hicks J, Chavez A, Castillo H. Phenotypic and transcriptional changes in Escherichia coli K12 in response to simulated microgravity on the EagleStat, a new 2D microgravity analog for bacterial studies. LIFE SCIENCES IN SPACE RESEARCH 2022; 34:1-8. [PMID: 35940684 DOI: 10.1016/j.lssr.2022.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2021] [Revised: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the impacts of microgravity on bacteria is vital for successful long duration space missions. In this environment, bacteria have been shown to become more virulent, more resistant to antibiotics and to regulate biofilm formation. Since the study of these phenomena under true microgravity is cost- and time challenging, the use of ground-based analogs might allow researchers to test hypotheses before planning and executing experiments in the space environment. We designed and developed a 2D clinostat with capabilities robust enough for bacterial studies to allow for multiple simultaneous replicates of treatment and control conditions, thus permitting the generation of growth curves, in a single run. We used computational fluid dynamics (CFD), biofilm growth measurement and differential gene expression analysis on Escherichia coli cultures grown to late exponential phase (24 h) to validate the system's ability to simulate microgravity conditions. The CFD model with a rotational speed of 8 rpm projected cells growing homogeneously distributed along the tube, while the static condition showed the accumulation of the cells at the bottom of the container. These results were empirically validated with cultures on nutrient broth. Additionally, crystal violet assays showed that higher biofilm biomass grew on the internal walls of the gravity control tubes, compared to the simulated microgravity treatment. In contrast, when cells from both treatments were grown under standard conditions, those exposed to simulated microgravity formed significantly more biofilms than their gravity counterparts. Consistent with this result, transcriptome analysis showed the upregulation of several gene families related to biofilm formation and development such as cells adhesion, aggregation and regulation of cell motility, which provides a potential transcriptional explanation for the differential phenotype observed. Our results show that when operated under parameters for simulated microgravity, our 2D clinostat creates conditions that maintain a proportion of the cells in a constant free-falling state, consistent with the effect of microgravity. Also, the high-throughput nature of our instrument facilitates, significantly, bacterial experiments that require multiple sampling timepoints and small working volumes, making this new instrument extremely efficient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Collin Topolski
- Mechanical Engineering Department, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, FL, USA
| | - Eduardo Divo
- Mechanical Engineering Department, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, FL, USA
| | - Xiaoping Li
- Virginia Tech Hampton Roads Agriculture Research and Extension Center, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Janelle Hicks
- Human Factors and Behavioral Neurobiology Department, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, 1 Aerospace Blvd, COAS 401.03, Deland, Florida, 32724 USA
| | - Alba Chavez
- Human Factors and Behavioral Neurobiology Department, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, 1 Aerospace Blvd, COAS 401.03, Deland, Florida, 32724 USA
| | - Hugo Castillo
- Human Factors and Behavioral Neurobiology Department, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, 1 Aerospace Blvd, COAS 401.03, Deland, Florida, 32724 USA.
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Impairment of 7F2 osteoblast function by simulated partial gravity in a Random Positioning Machine. NPJ Microgravity 2022; 8:20. [PMID: 35672327 PMCID: PMC9174291 DOI: 10.1038/s41526-022-00202-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The multifaceted adverse effects of reduced gravity pose a significant challenge to human spaceflight. Previous studies have shown that bone formation by osteoblasts decreases under microgravity conditions, both real and simulated. However, the effects of partial gravity on osteoblasts’ function are less well understood. Utilizing the software-driven newer version of the Random Positioning Machine (RPMSW), we simulated levels of partial gravity relevant to future manned space missions: Mars (0.38 G), Moon (0.16 G), and microgravity (Micro, ~10−3 G). Short-term (6 days) culture yielded a dose-dependent reduction in proliferation and the enzymatic activity of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), while long-term studies (21 days) showed a distinct dose-dependent inhibition of mineralization. By contrast, expression levels of key osteogenic genes (Alkaline phosphatase, Runt-related Transcription Factor 2, Sparc/osteonectin) exhibited a threshold behavior: gene expression was significantly inhibited when the cells were exposed to Mars-simulating partial gravity, and this was not reduced further when the cells were cultured under simulated Moon or microgravity conditions. Our data suggest that impairment of cell function with decreasing simulated gravity levels is graded and that the threshold profile observed for reduced gene expression is distinct from the dose dependence observed for cell proliferation, ALP activity, and mineral deposition. Our study is of relevance, given the dearth of research into the effects of Lunar and Martian gravity for forthcoming space exploration.
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Sharma G, Curtis PD. The Impacts of Microgravity on Bacterial Metabolism. Life (Basel) 2022; 12:life12060774. [PMID: 35743807 PMCID: PMC9225508 DOI: 10.3390/life12060774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Revised: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The inside of a space-faring vehicle provides a set of conditions unlike anything experienced by bacteria on Earth. The low-shear, diffusion-limited microenvironment with accompanying high levels of ionizing radiation create high stress in bacterial cells, and results in many physiological adaptations. This review gives an overview of the effect spaceflight in general, and real or simulated microgravity in particular, has on primary and secondary metabolism. Some broad trends in primary metabolic responses can be identified. These include increases in carbohydrate metabolism, changes in carbon substrate utilization range, and changes in amino acid metabolism that reflect increased oxidative stress. However, another important trend is that there is no universal bacterial response to microgravity, as different bacteria often have contradictory responses to the same stress. This is exemplified in many of the observed secondary metabolite responses where secondary metabolites may have increased, decreased, or unchanged production in microgravity. Different secondary metabolites in the same organism can even show drastically different production responses. Microgravity can also impact the production profile and localization of secondary metabolites. The inconsistency of bacterial responses to real or simulated microgravity underscores the importance of further research in this area to better understand how microbes can impact the people and systems aboard spacecraft.
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Tesei D, Jewczynko A, Lynch AM, Urbaniak C. Understanding the Complexities and Changes of the Astronaut Microbiome for Successful Long-Duration Space Missions. Life (Basel) 2022; 12:life12040495. [PMID: 35454986 PMCID: PMC9031868 DOI: 10.3390/life12040495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Revised: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
During space missions, astronauts are faced with a variety of challenges that are unique to spaceflight and that have been known to cause physiological changes in humans over a period of time. Several of these changes occur at the microbiome level, a complex ensemble of microbial communities residing in various anatomic sites of the human body, with a pivotal role in regulating the health and behavior of the host. The microbiome is essential for day-to-day physiological activities, and alterations in microbiome composition and function have been linked to various human diseases. For these reasons, understanding the impact of spaceflight and space conditions on the microbiome of astronauts is important to assess significant health risks that can emerge during long-term missions and to develop countermeasures. Here, we review various conditions that are caused by long-term space exploration and discuss the role of the microbiome in promoting or ameliorating these conditions, as well as space-related factors that impact microbiome composition. The topics explored pertain to microgravity, radiation, immunity, bone health, cognitive function, gender differences and pharmacomicrobiomics. Connections are made between the trifecta of spaceflight, the host and the microbiome, and the significance of these interactions for successful long-term space missions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donatella Tesei
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, 1190 Vienna, Austria;
| | - Anna Jewczynko
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada;
| | - Anne M. Lynch
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA;
- Graduate Program in Developmental Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Camilla Urbaniak
- ZIN Technologies Inc., Middleburg Heights, OH 44130, USA
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
- Correspondence:
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Combined Impact of Magnetic Force and Spaceflight Conditions on Escherichia Coli Physiology. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23031837. [PMID: 35163759 PMCID: PMC8836844 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23031837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Revised: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Changes in bacterial physiology caused by the combined action of the magnetic force and microgravity were studied in Escherichia coli grown using a specially developed device aboard the International Space Station. The morphology and metabolism of E. coli grown under spaceflight (SF) or combined spaceflight and magnetic force (SF + MF) conditions were compared with ground cultivated bacteria grown under standard (control) or magnetic force (MF) conditions. SF, SF + MF, and MF conditions provided the up-regulation of Ag43 auto-transporter and cell auto-aggregation. The magnetic force caused visible clustering of non-sedimenting bacteria that formed matrix-containing aggregates under SF + MF and MF conditions. Cell auto-aggregation was accompanied by up-regulation of glyoxylate shunt enzymes and Vitamin B12 transporter BtuB. Under SF and SF + MF but not MF conditions nutrition and oxygen limitations were manifested by the down-regulation of glycolysis and TCA enzymes and the up-regulation of methylglyoxal bypass. Bacteria grown under combined SF + MF conditions demonstrated superior up-regulation of enzymes of the methylglyoxal bypass and down-regulation of glycolysis and TCA enzymes compared to SF conditions, suggesting that the magnetic force strengthened the effects of microgravity on the bacterial metabolism. This strengthening appeared to be due to magnetic force-dependent bacterial clustering within a small volume that reinforced the effects of the microgravity-driven absence of convectional flows.
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Fournier E, Roussel C, Dominicis A, Ley D, Peyron MA, Collado V, Mercier-Bonin M, Lacroix C, Alric M, Van de Wiele T, Chassard C, Etienne-Mesmin L, Blanquet-Diot S. In vitro models of gut digestion across childhood: current developments, challenges and future trends. Biotechnol Adv 2021; 54:107796. [PMID: 34252564 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2021.107796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Revised: 07/05/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The human digestion is a multi-step and multi-compartment process essential for human health, at the heart of many issues raised by academics, the medical world and industrials from the food, nutrition and pharma fields. In the first years of life, major dietary changes occur and are concomitant with an evolution of the whole child digestive tract anatomy and physiology, including colonization of gut microbiota. All these phenomena are influenced by child exposure to environmental compounds, such as drugs (especially antibiotics) and food pollutants, but also childhood infections. Due to obvious ethical, regulatory and technical limitations, in vivo approaches in animal and human are more and more restricted to favor complementary in vitro approaches. This review summarizes current knowledge on the evolution of child gut physiology from birth to 3 years old regarding physicochemical, mechanical and microbial parameters. Then, all the available in vitro models of the child digestive tract are described, ranging from the simplest static mono-compartmental systems to the most sophisticated dynamic and multi-compartmental models, and mimicking from the oral phase to the colon compartment. Lastly, we detail the main applications of child gut models in nutritional, pharmaceutical and microbiological studies and discuss the limitations and challenges facing this field of research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elora Fournier
- Université Clermont Auvergne, INRAE, UMR 454 MEDIS, Microbiologie Environnement Digestif et Santé, CRNH Auvergne, 63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France; Toxalim, Research Centre in Food Toxicology, INRAE, ENVT, INP-Purpan, UPS, Université de Toulouse, 31000 Toulouse, France
| | - Charlène Roussel
- Laval University, INAF Institute of Nutrition and Functional Foods, G1V 0A6 Quebec, Canada
| | - Alessandra Dominicis
- European Reference Laboratory for E. coli, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Delphine Ley
- Université Lille 2, Faculté de Médecine, Inserm U995 Nutritional Modulation of Infection and Inflammation, 59045 Lille, France
| | - Marie-Agnès Peyron
- Université Clermont Auvergne, INRAE, UNH, Unité de Nutrition Humaine, CRNH Auvergne, 63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Valérie Collado
- Université Clermont Auvergne, EA 4847, CROC, Centre de Recherche en Odontologie Clinique, 63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Muriel Mercier-Bonin
- Toxalim, Research Centre in Food Toxicology, INRAE, ENVT, INP-Purpan, UPS, Université de Toulouse, 31000 Toulouse, France
| | - Christophe Lacroix
- Laboratory of Food Biotechnology, Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zurich, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Monique Alric
- Université Clermont Auvergne, INRAE, UMR 454 MEDIS, Microbiologie Environnement Digestif et Santé, CRNH Auvergne, 63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Tom Van de Wiele
- Ghent University, Center for Microbial Ecology and Technology (CMET), Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Christophe Chassard
- Université Clermont Auvergne, INRAE, VetAgro Sup, UMRF, 15000 Aurillac, France
| | - Lucie Etienne-Mesmin
- Université Clermont Auvergne, INRAE, UMR 454 MEDIS, Microbiologie Environnement Digestif et Santé, CRNH Auvergne, 63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Stéphanie Blanquet-Diot
- Université Clermont Auvergne, INRAE, UMR 454 MEDIS, Microbiologie Environnement Digestif et Santé, CRNH Auvergne, 63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France.
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Transcriptional Profiling of the Probiotic Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 Strain under Simulated Microgravity. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21082666. [PMID: 32290466 PMCID: PMC7215827 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21082666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2020] [Revised: 04/05/2020] [Accepted: 04/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Long-term space missions affect the gut microbiome of astronauts, especially the viability of some pathogens. Probiotics may be an effective solution for the management of gut microbiomes, but there is a lack of studies regarding the physiology of probiotics in microgravity. Here, we investigated the effects of microgravity on the probiotic Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 (EcN) by comparing transcriptomic data during exponential and stationary growth phases under simulated microgravity and normal gravity. Microgravity conditions affected several physiological features of EcN, including its growth profile, biofilm formation, stress responses, metal ion transport/utilization, and response to carbon starvation. We found that some changes, such as decreased adhesion ability and acid resistance, may be disadvantageous to EcN relative to gut pathogens under microgravity, indicating the need to develop probiotics optimized for space flight.
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A Simulated Microgravity Environment Causes a Sustained Defect in Epithelial Barrier Function. Sci Rep 2019; 9:17531. [PMID: 31772208 PMCID: PMC6879622 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-53862-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2018] [Accepted: 10/31/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Intestinal epithelial cell (IEC) junctions constitute a robust barrier to invasion by viruses, bacteria and exposure to ingested agents. Previous studies showed that microgravity compromises the human immune system and increases enteropathogen virulence. However, the effects of microgravity on epithelial barrier function are poorly understood. The aims of this study were to identify if simulated microgravity alters intestinal epithelial barrier function (permeability), and susceptibility to barrier-disrupting agents. IECs (HT-29.cl19a) were cultured on microcarrier beads in simulated microgravity using a rotating wall vessel (RWV) for 18 days prior to seeding on semipermeable supports to measure ion flux (transepithelial electrical resistance (TER)) and FITC-dextran (FD4) permeability over 14 days. RWV cells showed delayed apical junction localization of the tight junction proteins, occludin and ZO-1. The alcohol metabolite, acetaldehyde, significantly decreased TER and reduced junctional ZO-1 localization, while increasing FD4 permeability in RWV cells compared with static, motion and flask control cells. In conclusion, simulated microgravity induced an underlying and sustained susceptibility to epithelial barrier disruption upon removal from the microgravity environment. This has implications for gastrointestinal homeostasis of astronauts in space, as well as their capability to withstand the effects of agents that compromise intestinal epithelial barrier function following return to Earth.
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Clinostat Rotation Affects Metabolite Transportation and Increases Organic Acid Production by Aspergillus carbonarius, as Revealed by Differential Metabolomic Analysis. Appl Environ Microbiol 2019; 85:AEM.01023-19. [PMID: 31300399 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01023-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2019] [Accepted: 06/27/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Contamination by fungi may pose a threat to the long-term operation of the International Space Station because fungi produce organic acids that corrode equipment and mycotoxins that harm human health. Microgravity is an unavoidable and special condition in the space station. However, the influence of microgravity on fungal metabolism has not been well studied. Clinostat rotation is widely used to simulate the microgravity condition in studies carried out on Earth. Here, we used metabolomics differential analysis to study the influence of clinostat rotation on the accumulation of organic acids and related biosynthetic pathways in ochratoxin A (OTA)-producing Aspergillus carbonarius As a result, clinostat rotation did not affect fungal cell growth or colony appearance but significantly increased the accumulation of organic acids, particularly isocitric acid, citric acid, and oxalic acid, and OTA both inside cells and in the medium, as well as resulted in a much higher level of accumulation of some products inside than outside cells, indicating that the transport of these metabolites from the cell to the medium was inhibited. This finding corresponded to the change in the fatty acid composition of cell membranes and the reduced thickness of the cell walls and cell membranes. Amino acid and energy metabolic pathways, particularly the tricarboxylic acid cycle, were influenced the most during clinostat rotation compared to the effects of normal gravity on these pathways.IMPORTANCE Fungi are ubiquitous in nature and have the ability to corrode various materials by producing metabolites. Research on how the space station environment, especially microgravity, affects fungal metabolism is helpful to understand the role of fungi in the space station. This work provides insights into the mechanisms involved in the metabolism of the corrosive fungus Aspergillus carbonarius under simulated microgravity conditions. Our findings have significance not only for preventing material corrosion but also for ensuring food safety, especially in the space environment.
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Effect of Weightlessness on the 3D Structure Formation and Physiologic Function of Human Cancer Cells. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2019; 2019:4894083. [PMID: 31073526 PMCID: PMC6470427 DOI: 10.1155/2019/4894083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2018] [Revised: 01/27/2019] [Accepted: 02/27/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
With the rapid development of modern medical technology and the deterioration of living environments, cancer, the most important disease that threatens human health, has attracted increasing concerns. Although remarkable achievements have been made in tumor research during the past several decades, a series of problems such as tumor metastasis and drug resistance still need to be solved. Recently, relevant physiological changes during space exploration have attracted much attention. Thus, space exploration might provide some inspiration for cancer research. Using on ground different methods in order to simulate microgravity, structure and function of cancer cells undergo many unique changes, such as cell aggregation to form 3D spheroids, cell-cycle inhibition, and changes in migration ability and apoptosis. Although numerous better experiments have been conducted on this subject, the results are not consistent. The reason might be that different methods for simulation have been used, including clinostats, random positioning machine (RPM) and rotating wall vessel (RWV) and so on. Therefore, we review the relevant research and try to explain novel mechanisms underlying tumor cell changes under weightlessness.
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Yu Y, Zhao X, Guo Y, Zhang X, Bai P, Zhang B, Wang J, Liu C. Identification of potential tobramycin-resistant mutagenesis of Escherichia coli strains after spaceflight. Future Microbiol 2019; 14:315-330. [PMID: 30854896 DOI: 10.2217/fmb-2018-0273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Aim: This study aimed to explore potential tobramycin-resistant mutagenesis of Escherichia coli strains after spaceflight. Materials & methods: A spaceflight-induced mutagenesis of multidrug resistant E. coli strain (T1_13) on the outer space for 64 days (ST5), and a ground laboratory with the same conditions (GT5) were conducted. Both whole-genome sequencing and RNA-sequencing were performed. Results: A total of 75 single nucleotide polymorphisms and 20 InDels were found to be associated with the resistance mechanism. Compared with T1_13, 1242 genes were differentially expressed in more than 20 of 38 tobramycin-resistant E. coli isolates while not in GT5. Function annotation of these single nucleotide polymorphisms/InDels related genes and differentially expressed genes was performed. Conclusion: This study provided clues for potential tobramycin-resistant spaceflight-induced mutagenesis of E. coli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Yu
- Nanlou Respiratory Diseases Department, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Xian Zhao
- Nanlou Respiratory Diseases Department, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Yinghua Guo
- Nanlou Respiratory Diseases Department, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Xuelin Zhang
- Nanlou Respiratory Diseases Department, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Po Bai
- Nanlou Respiratory Diseases Department, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Bin Zhang
- Nanlou Respiratory Diseases Department, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Junfeng Wang
- Nanlou Respiratory Diseases Department, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Changting Liu
- Nanlou Respiratory Diseases Department, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
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20
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Evaluation of Acquired Antibiotic Resistance in Escherichia coli Exposed to Long-Term Low-Shear Modeled Microgravity and Background Antibiotic Exposure. mBio 2019; 10:mBio.02637-18. [PMID: 30647159 PMCID: PMC6336426 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02637-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Stress factors experienced during space include microgravity, sleep deprivation, radiation, isolation, and microbial contamination, all of which can promote immune suppression (1, 2). Under these conditions, the risk of infection from opportunistic pathogens increases significantly, particularly during long-term missions (3). If infection occurs, it is important that the infectious agent should not be antibiotic resistant. Minimizing the occurrence of antibiotic resistance is, therefore, highly desirable. To facilitate this, it is important to better understand the long-term response of bacteria to the microgravity environment. This study demonstrated that the use of antibiotics as a preventive measure could be counterproductive and would likely result in persistent resistance to that antibiotic. In addition, unintended resistance to other antimicrobials might also occur as well as permanent genome changes that might have other unanticipated and undesirable consequences. The long-term response of microbial communities to the microgravity environment of space is not yet fully understood. Of special interest is the possibility that members of these communities may acquire antibiotic resistance. In this study, Escherichia coli cells were grown under low-shear modeled microgravity (LSMMG) conditions for over 1,000 generations (1000G) using chloramphenicol treatment between cycles to prevent contamination. The results were compared with data from an earlier control study done under identical conditions using steam sterilization between cycles rather than chloramphenicol. The sensitivity of the final 1000G-adapted strain to a variety of antibiotics was determined using Vitek analysis. In addition to resistance to chloramphenicol, the adapted strain acquired resistance to cefalotin, cefuroxime, cefuroxime axetil, cefoxitin, and tetracycline. In fact, the resistance to chloramphenicol and cefalotin persisted for over 110 generations despite the removal of both LSMMG conditions and trace antibiotic exposure. Genome sequencing of the adapted strain revealed 22 major changes, including 3 transposon-mediated rearrangements (TMRs). Two TMRs disrupted coding genes (involved in bacterial adhesion), while the third resulted in the deletion of an entire segment (14,314 bp) of the genome, which includes 14 genes involved with motility and chemotaxis. These results are in stark contrast with data from our earlier control study in which cells grown under the identical conditions without antibiotic exposure never acquired antibiotic resistance. Overall, LSMMG does not appear to alter the antibiotic stress resistance seen in microbial ecosystems not exposed to microgravity.
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21
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Modeling Host-Pathogen Interactions in the Context of the Microenvironment: Three-Dimensional Cell Culture Comes of Age. Infect Immun 2018; 86:IAI.00282-18. [PMID: 30181350 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00282-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Tissues and organs provide the structural and biochemical landscapes upon which microbial pathogens and commensals function to regulate health and disease. While flat two-dimensional (2-D) monolayers composed of a single cell type have provided important insight into understanding host-pathogen interactions and infectious disease mechanisms, these reductionist models lack many essential features present in the native host microenvironment that are known to regulate infection, including three-dimensional (3-D) architecture, multicellular complexity, commensal microbiota, gas exchange and nutrient gradients, and physiologically relevant biomechanical forces (e.g., fluid shear, stretch, compression). A major challenge in tissue engineering for infectious disease research is recreating this dynamic 3-D microenvironment (biological, chemical, and physical/mechanical) to more accurately model the initiation and progression of host-pathogen interactions in the laboratory. Here we review selected 3-D models of human intestinal mucosa, which represent a major portal of entry for infectious pathogens and an important niche for commensal microbiota. We highlight seminal studies that have used these models to interrogate host-pathogen interactions and infectious disease mechanisms, and we present this literature in the appropriate historical context. Models discussed include 3-D organotypic cultures engineered in the rotating wall vessel (RWV) bioreactor, extracellular matrix (ECM)-embedded/organoid models, and organ-on-a-chip (OAC) models. Collectively, these technologies provide a more physiologically relevant and predictive framework for investigating infectious disease mechanisms and antimicrobial therapies at the intersection of the host, microbe, and their local microenvironments.
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22
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Huang B, Li DG, Huang Y, Liu CT. Effects of spaceflight and simulated microgravity on microbial growth and secondary metabolism. Mil Med Res 2018; 5:18. [PMID: 29807538 PMCID: PMC5971428 DOI: 10.1186/s40779-018-0162-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2017] [Accepted: 04/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Spaceflight and ground-based microgravity analog experiments have suggested that microgravity can affect microbial growth and metabolism. Although the effects of microgravity and its analogs on microorganisms have been studied for more than 50 years, plausible conflicting and diverse results have frequently been reported in different experiments, especially regarding microbial growth and secondary metabolism. Until now, only the responses of a few typical microbes to microgravity have been investigated; systematic studies of the genetic and phenotypic responses of these microorganisms to microgravity in space are still insufficient due to technological and logistical hurdles. The use of different test strains and secondary metabolites in these studies appears to have caused diverse and conflicting results. Moreover, subtle changes in the extracellular microenvironments around microbial cells play a key role in the diverse responses of microbial growth and secondary metabolisms. Therefore, "indirect" effects represent a reasonable pathway to explain the occurrence of these phenomena in microorganisms. This review summarizes current knowledge on the changes in microbial growth and secondary metabolism in response to spaceflight and its analogs and discusses the diverse and conflicting results. In addition, recommendations are given for future studies on the effects of microgravity in space on microbial growth and secondary metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bing Huang
- Nanlou Respiratory Diseases Department, Chinese PLA General Hospital/Chinese PLA Postgraduate Medical School, Beijing, 100853, China
| | - Dian-Geng Li
- Nanlou Respiratory Diseases Department, Chinese PLA General Hospital/Chinese PLA Postgraduate Medical School, Beijing, 100853, China
| | - Ying Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
| | - Chang-Ting Liu
- Nanlou Respiratory Diseases Department, Chinese PLA General Hospital/Chinese PLA Postgraduate Medical School, Beijing, 100853, China.
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Aunins TR, Erickson KE, Prasad N, Levy SE, Jones A, Shrestha S, Mastracchio R, Stodieck L, Klaus D, Zea L, Chatterjee A. Spaceflight Modifies Escherichia coli Gene Expression in Response to Antibiotic Exposure and Reveals Role of Oxidative Stress Response. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:310. [PMID: 29615983 PMCID: PMC5865062 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.00310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2017] [Accepted: 02/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteria grown in space experiments under microgravity conditions have been found to undergo unique physiological responses, ranging from modified cell morphology and growth dynamics to a putative increased tolerance to antibiotics. A common theory for this behavior is the loss of gravity-driven convection processes in the orbital environment, resulting in both reduction of extracellular nutrient availability and the accumulation of bacterial byproducts near the cell. To further characterize the responses, this study investigated the transcriptomic response of Escherichia coli to both microgravity and antibiotic concentration. E. coli was grown aboard International Space Station in the presence of increasing concentrations of the antibiotic gentamicin with identical ground controls conducted on Earth. Here we show that within 49 h of being cultured, E. coli adapted to grow at higher antibiotic concentrations in space compared to Earth, and demonstrated consistent changes in expression of 63 genes in response to an increase in drug concentration in both environments, including specific responses related to oxidative stress and starvation response. Additionally, we find 50 stress-response genes upregulated in response to the microgravity when compared directly to the equivalent concentration in the ground control. We conclude that the increased antibiotic tolerance in microgravity may be attributed not only to diminished transport processes, but also to a resultant antibiotic cross-resistance response conferred by an overlapping effect of stress response genes. Our data suggest that direct stresses of nutrient starvation and acid-shock conveyed by the microgravity environment can incidentally upregulate stress response pathways related to antibiotic stress and in doing so contribute to the increased antibiotic stress tolerance observed for bacteria in space experiments. These results provide insights into the ability of bacteria to adapt under extreme stress conditions and potential strategies to prevent antimicrobial-resistance in space and on Earth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas R Aunins
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Keesha E Erickson
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Nripesh Prasad
- Genomic Services Laboratory, HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL, United States
| | - Shawn E Levy
- Genomic Services Laboratory, HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL, United States
| | - Angela Jones
- Genomic Services Laboratory, HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL, United States
| | - Shristi Shrestha
- Genomic Services Laboratory, HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL, United States.,Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, AL, United States
| | - Rick Mastracchio
- Astronaut Office, Johnson Space Center, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Louis Stodieck
- BioServe Space Technologies, Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - David Klaus
- Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Luis Zea
- BioServe Space Technologies, Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Anushree Chatterjee
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States.,BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
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Ward C, Rettig TA, Hlavacek S, Bye BA, Pecaut MJ, Chapes SK. Effects of spaceflight on the immunoglobulin repertoire of unimmunized C57BL/6 mice. LIFE SCIENCES IN SPACE RESEARCH 2018; 16:63-75. [PMID: 29475521 PMCID: PMC5826609 DOI: 10.1016/j.lssr.2017.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2017] [Revised: 11/20/2017] [Accepted: 11/27/2017] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Spaceflight has been shown to suppress the adaptive immune response, altering the distribution and function of lymphocyte populations. B lymphocytes express highly specific and highly diversified receptors, known as immunoglobulins (Ig), that directly bind and neutralize pathogens. Ig diversity is achieved through the enzymatic splicing of gene segments within the genomic DNA of each B cell in a host. The collection of Ig specificities within a host, or Ig repertoire, has been increasingly characterized in both basic research and clinical settings using high-throughput sequencing technology (HTS). We utilized HTS to test the hypothesis that spaceflight affects the B-cell repertoire. To test this hypothesis, we characterized the impact of spaceflight on the unimmunized Ig repertoire of C57BL/6 mice that were flown aboard the International Space Station (ISS) during the Rodent Research One validation flight in comparison to ground controls. Individual gene segment usage was similar between ground control and flight animals, however, gene segment combinations and the junctions in which gene segments combine was varied among animals within and between treatment groups. We also found that spontaneous somatic mutations in the IgH and Igκ gene loci were not increased. These data suggest that space flight did not affect the B cell repertoire of mice flown and housed on the ISS over a short period of time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Ward
- Division of Biology, Kansas State University, 1717 Claflin Rd, 116 Ackert Hall, Manhattan, KS 66502, United States
| | - Trisha A Rettig
- Division of Biology, Kansas State University, 1717 Claflin Rd, 116 Ackert Hall, Manhattan, KS 66502, United States
| | - Savannah Hlavacek
- Division of Biology, Kansas State University, 1717 Claflin Rd, 116 Ackert Hall, Manhattan, KS 66502, United States
| | - Bailey A Bye
- Division of Biology, Kansas State University, 1717 Claflin Rd, 116 Ackert Hall, Manhattan, KS 66502, United States
| | - Michael J Pecaut
- Department of Basic Sciences, Division of Radiation Research, Loma Linda University, 11021 Campus St. Rm 101, Loma Linda, CA 92350, United States
| | - Stephen K Chapes
- Division of Biology, Kansas State University, 1717 Claflin Rd, 116 Ackert Hall, Manhattan, KS 66502, United States.
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Morokuma J, Durant F, Williams KB, Finkelstein JM, Blackiston DJ, Clements T, Reed DW, Roberts M, Jain M, Kimel K, Trauger SA, Wolfe BE, Levin M. Planarian regeneration in space: Persistent anatomical, behavioral, and bacteriological changes induced by space travel. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017; 4:85-102. [PMID: 28616247 PMCID: PMC5469732 DOI: 10.1002/reg2.79] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2017] [Revised: 03/27/2017] [Accepted: 04/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Regeneration is regulated not only by chemical signals but also by physical processes, such as bioelectric gradients. How these may change in the absence of the normal gravitational and geomagnetic fields is largely unknown. Planarian flatworms were moved to the International Space Station for 5 weeks, immediately after removing their heads and tails. A control group in spring water remained on Earth. No manipulation of the planaria occurred while they were in orbit, and space‐exposed worms were returned to our laboratory for analysis. One animal out of 15 regenerated into a double‐headed phenotype—normally an extremely rare event. Remarkably, amputating this double‐headed worm again, in plain water, resulted again in the double‐headed phenotype. Moreover, even when tested 20 months after return to Earth, the space‐exposed worms displayed significant quantitative differences in behavior and microbiome composition. These observations may have implications for human and animal space travelers, but could also elucidate how microgravity and hypomagnetic environments could be used to trigger desired morphological, neurological, physiological, and bacteriomic changes for various regenerative and bioengineering applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junji Morokuma
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University Biology Department Tufts University 200 Boston Ave., Suite 4600 Medford MA 02155-4243 USA
| | - Fallon Durant
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University Biology Department Tufts University 200 Boston Ave., Suite 4600 Medford MA 02155-4243 USA
| | - Katherine B Williams
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University Biology Department Tufts University 200 Boston Ave., Suite 4600 Medford MA 02155-4243 USA
| | - Joshua M Finkelstein
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University Biology Department Tufts University 200 Boston Ave., Suite 4600 Medford MA 02155-4243 USA
| | - Douglas J Blackiston
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University Biology Department Tufts University 200 Boston Ave., Suite 4600 Medford MA 02155-4243 USA
| | - Twyman Clements
- Kentucky Space LLC, 200 West Vine St., Suite 420 Lexington KY 40507 USA
| | - David W Reed
- NASA Kennedy Space Center Space Station Processing Facility Building M7-0360, Kennedy Space Center FL 32899 USA
| | - Michael Roberts
- Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) 6905 N. Wickham Rd., Suite 500 Melbourne FL 32940 USA
| | - Mahendra Jain
- Kentucky Space LLC, 200 West Vine St., Suite 420 Lexington KY 40507 USA
| | - Kris Kimel
- Exomedicine Institute 200 West Vine St. Lexington KY 40507 USA
| | - Sunia A Trauger
- Harvard University Small Molecule Mass Spectrometry Facility 52 Oxford St. Cambridge MA 02138 USA
| | - Benjamin E Wolfe
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University Biology Department Tufts University 200 Boston Ave., Suite 4600 Medford MA 02155-4243 USA
| | - Michael Levin
- Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University Biology Department Tufts University 200 Boston Ave., Suite 4600 Medford MA 02155-4243 USA
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Karouia F, Peyvan K, Pohorille A. Toward biotechnology in space: High-throughput instruments for in situ biological research beyond Earth. Biotechnol Adv 2017; 35:905-932. [PMID: 28433608 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2017.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2016] [Revised: 03/27/2017] [Accepted: 04/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Space biotechnology is a nascent field aimed at applying tools of modern biology to advance our goals in space exploration. These advances rely on our ability to exploit in situ high throughput techniques for amplification and sequencing DNA, and measuring levels of RNA transcripts, proteins and metabolites in a cell. These techniques, collectively known as "omics" techniques have already revolutionized terrestrial biology. A number of on-going efforts are aimed at developing instruments to carry out "omics" research in space, in particular on board the International Space Station and small satellites. For space applications these instruments require substantial and creative reengineering that includes automation, miniaturization and ensuring that the device is resistant to conditions in space and works independently of the direction of the gravity vector. Different paths taken to meet these requirements for different "omics" instruments are the subjects of this review. The advantages and disadvantages of these instruments and technological solutions and their level of readiness for deployment in space are discussed. Considering that effects of space environments on terrestrial organisms appear to be global, it is argued that high throughput instruments are essential to advance (1) biomedical and physiological studies to control and reduce space-related stressors on living systems, (2) application of biology to life support and in situ resource utilization, (3) planetary protection, and (4) basic research about the limits on life in space. It is also argued that carrying out measurements in situ provides considerable advantages over the traditional space biology paradigm that relies on post-flight data analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fathi Karouia
- University of California San Francisco, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; NASA Ames Research Center, Exobiology Branch, MS239-4, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA; NASA Ames Research Center, Flight Systems Implementation Branch, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA.
| | | | - Andrew Pohorille
- University of California San Francisco, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; NASA Ames Research Center, Exobiology Branch, MS239-4, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA.
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Thomen P, Robert J, Monmeyran A, Bitbol AF, Douarche C, Henry N. Bacterial biofilm under flow: First a physical struggle to stay, then a matter of breathing. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0175197. [PMID: 28403171 PMCID: PMC5389662 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0175197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2016] [Accepted: 03/22/2017] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacterial communities attached to surfaces under fluid flow represent a widespread lifestyle of the microbial world. Through shear stress generation and molecular transport regulation, hydrodynamics conveys effects that are very different by nature but strongly coupled. To decipher the influence of these levers on bacterial biofilms immersed in moving fluids, we quantitatively and simultaneously investigated physicochemical and biological properties of the biofilm. We designed a millifluidic setup allowing to control hydrodynamic conditions and to monitor biofilm development in real time using microscope imaging. We also conducted a transcriptomic analysis to detect a potential physiological response to hydrodynamics. We discovered that a threshold value of shear stress determined biofilm settlement, with sub-piconewton forces sufficient to prevent biofilm initiation. As a consequence, distinct hydrodynamic conditions, which set spatial distribution of shear stress, promoted distinct colonization patterns with consequences on the growth mode. However, no direct impact of mechanical forces on biofilm growth rate was observed. Consistently, no mechanosensing gene emerged from our differential transcriptomic analysis comparing distinct hydrodynamic conditions. Instead, we found that hydrodynamic molecular transport crucially impacts biofilm growth by controlling oxygen availability. Our results shed light on biofilm response to hydrodynamics and open new avenues to achieve informed design of fluidic setups for investigating, engineering or fighting adherent communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philippe Thomen
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06 & CNRS, UMR 8237, Laboratoire Jean Perrin, Paris, France
| | - Jérôme Robert
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06 & CNRS, UMR 8237, Laboratoire Jean Perrin, Paris, France
| | - Amaury Monmeyran
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06 & CNRS, UMR 8237, Laboratoire Jean Perrin, Paris, France
| | - Anne-Florence Bitbol
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06 & CNRS, UMR 8237, Laboratoire Jean Perrin, Paris, France
| | - Carine Douarche
- Université Paris Sud, UMR 8502, Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, Orsay, France
| | - Nelly Henry
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06 & CNRS, UMR 8237, Laboratoire Jean Perrin, Paris, France
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Investigation of simulated microgravity effects on Streptococcus mutans physiology and global gene expression. NPJ Microgravity 2017. [PMID: 28649626 PMCID: PMC5460135 DOI: 10.1038/s41526-016-0006-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Astronauts have been previously shown to exhibit decreased salivary lysozyme and increased dental calculus and gingival inflammation in response to space flight, host factors that could contribute to oral diseases such as caries and periodontitis. However, the specific physiological response of caries-causing bacteria such as Streptococcus mutans to space flight and/or ground-based simulated microgravity has not been extensively investigated. In this study, high aspect ratio vessel S. mutans simulated microgravity and normal gravity cultures were assessed for changes in metabolite and transcriptome profiles, H2O2 resistance, and competence in sucrose-containing biofilm media. Stationary phase S. mutans simulated microgravity cultures displayed increased killing by H2O2 compared to normal gravity control cultures, but competence was not affected. RNA-seq analysis revealed that expression of 153 genes was up-regulated ≥2-fold and 94 genes down-regulated ≥2-fold during simulated microgravity high aspect ratio vessel growth. These included a number of genes located on extrachromosomal elements, as well as genes involved in carbohydrate metabolism, translation, and stress responses. Collectively, these results suggest that growth under microgravity analog conditions promotes changes in S. mutans gene expression and physiology that may translate to an altered cariogenic potential of this organism during space flight missions. The gene expression patterns, metabolism and physiology of tooth cavities-causing microbes change in a space-like gravity environment. These findings could help explain why astronauts are at a greater risk for dental diseases when in space. Kelly Rice and colleagues from the University of Florida, Gainesville, USA, cultured Streptococcus mutans bacteria under simulated microgravity and normal gravity conditions. The bacteria grown in microgravity were more susceptible to killing with hydrogen peroxide, tended to aggregate in more compact cellular structures, showed changes in their metabolite profile and expressed around 250 genes at levels that were either much higher or lower than normal gravity control cultures. These genes included many involved in carbohydrate metabolism, protein production and stress responses. The observed changes collectively suggest that space flight and microgravity could alter the cavities-causing potential of S. mutans.
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Najrana T, Sanchez-Esteban J. Mechanotransduction as an Adaptation to Gravity. Front Pediatr 2016; 4:140. [PMID: 28083527 PMCID: PMC5183626 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2016.00140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2016] [Accepted: 12/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Gravity has played a critical role in the development of terrestrial life. A key event in evolution has been the development of mechanisms to sense and transduce gravitational force into biological signals. The objective of this manuscript is to review how living organisms on Earth use mechanotransduction as an adaptation to gravity. Certain cells have evolved specialized structures, such as otoliths in hair cells of the inner ear and statoliths in plants, to respond directly to the force of gravity. By conducting studies in the reduced gravity of spaceflight (microgravity) or simulating microgravity in the laboratory, we have gained insights into how gravity might have changed life on Earth. We review how microgravity affects prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells at the cellular and molecular levels. Genomic studies in yeast have identified changes in genes involved in budding, cell polarity, and cell separation regulated by Ras, PI3K, and TOR signaling pathways. Moreover, transcriptomic analysis of late pregnant rats have revealed that microgravity affects genes that regulate circadian clocks, activate mechanotransduction pathways, and induce changes in immune response, metabolism, and cells proliferation. Importantly, these studies identified genes that modify chromatin structure and methylation, suggesting that long-term adaptation to gravity may be mediated by epigenetic modifications. Given that gravity represents a modification in mechanical stresses encounter by the cells, the tensegrity model of cytoskeletal architecture provides an excellent paradigm to explain how changes in the balance of forces, which are transmitted across transmembrane receptors and cytoskeleton, can influence intracellular signaling pathways and gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanbir Najrana
- Department of Pediatrics, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island , Providence, RI , USA
| | - Juan Sanchez-Esteban
- Department of Pediatrics, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island , Providence, RI , USA
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31
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Aguirre M, Venema K. Challenges in simulating the human gut for understanding the role of the microbiota in obesity. Benef Microbes 2016; 8:31-53. [PMID: 27903093 DOI: 10.3920/bm2016.0113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
There is an elevated incidence of cases of obesity worldwide. Therefore, the development of strategies to tackle this condition is of vital importance. This review focuses on the necessity of optimising in vitro systems to model human colonic fermentation in obese subjects. This may allow to increase the resolution and the physiological relevance of the information obtained from this type of studies when evaluating the potential role that the human gut microbiota plays in obesity. In light of the parameters that are currently used for the in vitro simulation of the human gut (which are mostly based on information derived from healthy subjects) and the possible difference with an obese condition, we propose to revise and improve specific standard operating procedures.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Aguirre
- 1 Top Institute of Food and Nutrition, P.O. Box 557, 6700 AA Wageningen, the Netherlands.,2 Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism (NUTRIM), Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, the Netherlands.,3 The Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), P.O. Box 360, 3700 AJ Zeist, the Netherlands
| | - K Venema
- 1 Top Institute of Food and Nutrition, P.O. Box 557, 6700 AA Wageningen, the Netherlands.,2 Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism (NUTRIM), Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, the Netherlands.,4 Beneficial Microbes Consultancy, Johan Karschstraat 3, 6709 TN Wageningen, the Netherlands
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32
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Fajardo-Cavazos P, Nicholson WL. Cultivation of Staphylococcus epidermidis in the Human Spaceflight Environment Leads to Alterations in the Frequency and Spectrum of Spontaneous Rifampicin-Resistance Mutations in the rpoB Gene. Front Microbiol 2016; 7:999. [PMID: 27446039 PMCID: PMC4923109 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.00999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2016] [Accepted: 06/13/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteria of the genus Staphylococcus are persistent inhabitants of human spaceflight habitats and represent potential opportunistic pathogens. The effect of the human spaceflight environment on the growth and the frequency of mutations to antibiotic resistance in the model organism Staphylococcus epidermidis strain ATCC12228 was investigated. Six cultures of the test organism were cultivated in biological research in canisters-Petri dish fixation units for 122 h on orbit in the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the SpaceX-3 resupply mission. Asynchronous ground controls (GCs) consisted of identical sets of cultures cultivated for 122 h in the ISS Environmental Simulator at Kennedy Space Center. S. epidermidis exhibited significantly lower viable counts but significantly higher frequencies of mutation to rifampicin (Rif) resistance in space vs. GC cultures. The spectrum of mutations in the rpoB gene leading to Rif(R) was altered in S. epidermidis isolates cultivated in the ISS compared to GCs. The results suggest that the human spaceflight environment induces unique physiologic stresses on growing bacterial cells leading to changes in mutagenic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Wayne L Nicholson
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, University of Florida, Merritt Island FL, USA
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33
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Evaluation of acrylamide-removing properties of two Lactobacillus strains under simulated gastrointestinal conditions using a dynamic system. Microbiol Res 2016; 190:19-26. [PMID: 27393995 DOI: 10.1016/j.micres.2016.04.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2016] [Revised: 04/13/2016] [Accepted: 04/24/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate the capability of Lactobacillus reuteri NRRL 14171 and Lactobacillus casei Shirota to remove dietary acrylamide (AA) under simulated gastrointestinal conditions using a dynamic system. The effects of different AA levels or bacteria concentration on toxin removal by Lactobacillus strains were assessed. Thereafter, AA-removing capability of bacteria strains under either fasting or postprandial simulated gastrointestinal conditions was evaluated. Commercial potato chips were analyzed for their AA content, and then used as a food model. Average AA content (34,162μg/kg) in potato chips exceeded by ca. 34-fold the indicative values recommended by the EU. Toxin removal ability was dependent on AA content and bacterial cell concentration. A reduction on bacterial viability was observed in the food model and at the end of both digestive processes evaluated. However, bacteria survived in enough concentrations to remove part of the toxin (32-73%). Both bacterial strains were able to remove AA under different simulated gastrointestinal conditions, being L. casei Shirota the most effective (ca. 70% removal). These findings confirmed the risk of potato chips as dietary AA exposure for consumers, and that strains of the genus Lactobacillus could be employed to reduce the bioavailability of dietary AA.
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Bergmann S, Steinert M. From Single Cells to Engineered and Explanted Tissues: New Perspectives in Bacterial Infection Biology. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2015; 319:1-44. [PMID: 26404465 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ircmb.2015.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Cell culture techniques are essential for studying host-pathogen interactions. In addition to the broad range of single cell type-based two-dimensional cell culture models, an enormous amount of coculture systems, combining two or more different cell types, has been developed. These systems enable microscopic visualization and molecular analyses of bacterial adherence and internalization mechanisms and also provide a suitable setup for various biochemical, immunological, and pharmacological applications. The implementation of natural or synthetical scaffolds elevated the model complexity to the level of three-dimensional cell culture. Additionally, several transwell-based cell culture techniques are applied to study bacterial interaction with physiological tissue barriers. For keeping highly differentiated phenotype of eukaryotic cells in ex vivo culture conditions, different kinds of microgravity-simulating rotary-wall vessel systems are employed. Furthermore, the implementation of microfluidic pumps enables constant nutrient and gas exchange during cell cultivation and allows the investigation of long-term infection processes. The highest level of cell culture complexity is reached by engineered and explanted tissues which currently pave the way for a more comprehensive view on microbial pathogenicity mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Bergmann
- Institute of Microbiology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Lower Saxony, Germany
| | - Michael Steinert
- Institute of Microbiology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Lower Saxony, Germany
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35
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Bharti N, Barnawal D, Maji D, Kalra A. Halotolerant PGPRs Prevent Major Shifts in Indigenous Microbial Community Structure Under Salinity Stress. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2015; 70:196-208. [PMID: 25542205 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-014-0557-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2014] [Accepted: 12/09/2014] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
The resilience of soil microbial populations and processes to environmental perturbation is of increasing interest as alteration in rhizosphere microbial community dynamics impacts the combined functions of plant-microbe interactions. The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of inoculation with halotolerant rhizobacteria Bacillus pumilus (STR2), Halomonas desiderata (STR8), and Exiguobacterium oxidotolerans (STR36) on the indigenous root-associated microbial (bacterial and fungal) communities in maize under non-saline and salinity stress. Plants inoculated with halotolerant rhizobacteria recorded improved growth as illustrated by significantly higher shoot and root dry weight and elongation in comparison to un-inoculated control plants under both non-saline and saline conditions. Additive main effect and multiplicative interaction ordination analysis revealed that plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) inoculations as well as salinity are major drivers of microbial community shift in maize rhizosphere. Salinity negatively impacts microbial community as analysed through diversity indices; among the PGPR-inoculated plants, STR2-inoculated plants recorded higher values of diversity indices. As observed in the terminal-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis, the inoculation of halotolerant rhizobacteria prevents major shift of the microbial community structure, thus enhancing the resilience capacity of the microbial communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nidhi Bharti
- Microbial Technology Department, CSIR-Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, P.O. CIMAP, Lucknow, 226015, India
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36
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37
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Zhang X, Fang X, Liu C. Genomic and Proteomic Analysis of Escherichia coli After Spaceflight Reveals Changes Involving Metabolic Pathways. Arch Med Res 2015; 46:181-5. [DOI: 10.1016/j.arcmed.2015.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2015] [Accepted: 03/25/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Stress tolerance and virulence of insect-pathogenic fungi are determined by environmental conditions during conidial formation. Curr Genet 2015; 61:383-404. [PMID: 25791499 DOI: 10.1007/s00294-015-0477-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2014] [Revised: 01/29/2015] [Accepted: 01/30/2015] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The virulence to insects and tolerance to heat and UV-B radiation of conidia of entomopathogenic fungi are greatly influenced by physical, chemical, and nutritional conditions during mycelial growth. This is evidenced, for example, by the stress phenotypes of Metarhizium robertsii produced on various substrates. Conidia from minimal medium (Czapek's medium without sucrose), complex medium, and insect (Lepidoptera and Coleoptera) cadavers had high, moderate, and poor tolerance to UV-B radiation, respectively. Furthermore, conidia from minimal medium germinated faster and had increased heat tolerance and were more virulent to insects than those from complex medium. Low water-activity or alkaline culture conditions also resulted in production of conidia with high tolerance to heat or UV-B radiation. Conidia produced on complex media exhibited lower stress tolerance, whereas those from complex media supplemented with NaCl or KCl (to reduce water activity) were more tolerant to heat and UV-B than those from the unmodified complex medium. Osmotic and nutritive stresses resulted in production of conidia with a robust stress phenotype, but also were associated with low conidial yield. Physical conditions such as growth under illumination, hypoxic conditions, and heat shock before conidial production also induced both higher UV-B and heat tolerance; but conidial production was not decreased. In conclusion, physical and chemical parameters, as well as nutrition source, can induce great variability in conidial tolerance to stress for entomopathogenic fungi. Implications are discussed in relation to the ecology of entomopathogenic fungi in the field, and to their use for biological control. This review will cover recent technologies on improving stress tolerance of entomopathogenic fungi for biological control of insects.
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Huangfu J, Qi F, Liu H, Zou H, Ahmed MS, Li C. Novel helper factors influencing recombinant protein production in Pichia pastoris based on proteomic analysis under simulated microgravity. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2014; 99:653-65. [PMID: 25359479 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-014-6175-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2014] [Revised: 10/15/2014] [Accepted: 10/17/2014] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Microgravity and simulated microgravity (SMG) have quite significant effects on numerous microbial cellular processes. The effects of SMG on the production of recombinant proteins and transcription profiling in prokaryotic and eukaryotic expression host have been investigated. The present study showed that SMG significantly enhanced the specific productivities and activities of the reporter enzymes PGUS and AtXYN that were expressed in recombinant Pichia pastoris. Proteomic profiling revealed that 21 proteins were significantly up-regulated and 35 proteins were drastically down-regulated at the stationary phase, when the recombinant P. pastoris responded to SMG. Six strongly up-regulated genes, TPX, FBA, PGAM, ENO, SBA1, and AKR-E, involved in the oxidative stress response, methanol metabolism, glycolytic pathway, and protein folding, were selected to analyze their impacts on recombinant protein production by co-overexpression in the shaker flask fermentation. The co-overexpressed strains, particularly TPX, FBA, and PGAM, demonstrated promising results with approximately 2.46-fold, 1.58-fold, and 1.33-fold increases in the specific yields of PGUS compared to the control after 48 h of methanol induction, respectively. In the meantime, the corresponding PGUS specific activities were increased by 2.33-fold, 2.09-fold, and 1.32-fold, respectively. Thiol peroxidase (TPX), which is involved in the oxidative stress response, significantly influenced the transcriptional levels of the reporter gene PGUS. The present study provides valuable information for further exploration of the molecular mechanism of P. pastoris response to SMG and facilitates simulated microgravity for finding novel helper factors to rationally engineer the strains in normal fermentation by using proteomic studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Huangfu
- School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, 100081, Beijing, People's Republic of China
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40
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Rosenzweig JA, Ahmed S, Eunson J, Chopra AK. Low-shear force associated with modeled microgravity and spaceflight does not similarly impact the virulence of notable bacterial pathogens. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2014; 98:8797-807. [PMID: 25149449 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-014-6025-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2014] [Revised: 08/06/2014] [Accepted: 08/08/2014] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
As their environments change, microbes experience various threats and stressors, and in the hypercompetitive microbial world, dynamism and the ability to rapidly respond to such changes allow microbes to outcompete their nutrient-seeking neighbors. Viewed in that light, the very difference between microbial life and death depends on effective stress response mechanisms. In addition to the more commonly studied temperature, nutritional, and chemical stressors, research has begun to characterize microbial responses to physical stress, namely low-shear stress. In fact, microbial responses to low-shear modeled microgravity (LSMMG), which emulates the microgravity experienced in space, have been studied quite widely in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Interestingly, LSMMG-induced changes in the virulence potential of several Gram-negative enteric bacteria, e.g., an increased enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli-mediated fluid secretion in ligated ileal loops of mice, an increased adherent invasive E. coli-mediated infectivity of Caco-2 cells, an increased Salmonella typhimurium-mediated invasion of both epithelial and macrophage cells, and S. typhimurium hypervirulence phenotype in BALB/c mice when infected by the intraperitoneal route. Although these were some examples where virulence of the bacteria was increased, there are instances where organisms became less virulent under LSMMG, e.g., hypovirulence of Yersinia pestis in cell culture infections and hypovirulence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, and Listeria monocytogenes in a Caenorhabditis elegans infection model. In general, a number of LSMMG-exposed bacteria (but not all) seemed better equipped to handle subsequent stressors such as osmotic shock, acid shock, heat shock, and exposure to chemotherapeutics. This mini-review primarily discusses both LSMMG-induced as well as bona fide spaceflight-specific alterations in bacterial virulence potential, demonstrating that pathogens' responses to low-shear forces vary dramatically. Ultimately, a careful characterization of numerous bacterial pathogens' responses to low-shear forces is necessary to evaluate a more complete picture of how this physical stress impacts bacterial virulence since a "one-size-fits-all" response is clearly not the case.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason A Rosenzweig
- Department of Biology and Center for Bionanotechnology and Environmental Research, Texas Southern University, 3100 Cleburne Street, Houston, TX, 77004, USA,
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Girardi C, De Pittà C, Casara S, Calura E, Romualdi C, Celotti L, Mognato M. Integration analysis of microRNA and mRNA expression profiles in human peripheral blood lymphocytes cultured in modeled microgravity. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2014; 2014:296747. [PMID: 25045661 PMCID: PMC4090438 DOI: 10.1155/2014/296747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2014] [Revised: 05/22/2014] [Accepted: 05/22/2014] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
We analyzed miRNA and mRNA expression profiles in human peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) incubated in microgravity condition, simulated by a ground-based rotating wall vessel (RWV) bioreactor. Our results show that 42 miRNAs were differentially expressed in MMG-incubated PBLs compared with 1 g incubated ones. Among these, miR-9-5p, miR-9-3p, miR-155-5p, miR-150-3p, and miR-378-3p were the most dysregulated. To improve the detection of functional miRNA-mRNA pairs, we performed gene expression profiles on the same samples assayed for miRNA profiling and we integrated miRNA and mRNA expression data. The functional classification of miRNA-correlated genes evidenced significant enrichment in the biological processes of immune/inflammatory response, signal transduction, regulation of response to stress, regulation of programmed cell death, and regulation of cell proliferation. We identified the correlation of miR-9-3p, miR-155-5p, miR-150-3p, and miR-378-3p expression with that of genes involved in immune/inflammatory response (e.g., IFNG and IL17F), apoptosis (e.g., PDCD4 and PTEN), and cell proliferation (e.g., NKX3-1 and GADD45A). Experimental assays of cell viability and apoptosis induction validated the results obtained by bioinformatics analyses demonstrating that in human PBLs the exposure to reduced gravitational force increases the frequency of apoptosis and decreases cell proliferation.
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Affiliation(s)
- C. Girardi
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università degli Studi di Padova, Via U. Bassi 58/B, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - C. De Pittà
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università degli Studi di Padova, Via U. Bassi 58/B, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - S. Casara
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università degli Studi di Padova, Via U. Bassi 58/B, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - E. Calura
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università degli Studi di Padova, Via U. Bassi 58/B, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - C. Romualdi
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università degli Studi di Padova, Via U. Bassi 58/B, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - L. Celotti
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università degli Studi di Padova, Via U. Bassi 58/B, 35131 Padova, Italy
- Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro, INFN, Viale dell'Università 2, Legnaro, 35020 Padova, Italy
| | - M. Mognato
- Dipartimento di Biologia, Università degli Studi di Padova, Via U. Bassi 58/B, 35131 Padova, Italy
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Soni A, O'Sullivan L, Quick LN, Ott CM, Nickerson CA, Wilson JW. Conservation of the Low-shear Modeled Microgravity Response in Enterobacteriaceae and Analysis of the trp Genes in this Response. Open Microbiol J 2014; 8:51-8. [PMID: 25006354 PMCID: PMC4085587 DOI: 10.2174/1874285801408010051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2014] [Revised: 03/19/2014] [Accepted: 04/03/2014] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Low fluid shear force, including that encountered in microgravity models, induces bacterial responses, but the range of bacteria capable of responding to this signal remains poorly characterized. We systematically analyzed a range of Gram negative Enterobacteriaceae for conservation of the low-shear modeled microgravity (LSMMG) response using phenotypic assays, qPCR, and targeted mutations. Our results indicate LSMMG response conservation across Enterobacteriacae with potential variance in up- or down-regulation of a given response depending on genus. Based on the data, we analyzed the role of the trp operon genes and the TrpR regulator in the LSMMG response using targeted mutations in these genes in S. Typhimurium and E. coli. We found no alteration of the LSMMG response compared to WT in these mutant strains under the conditions tested here. To our knowledge, this study is first-of-kind for Citrobacter, Enterobacter, and Serratia, presents novel data for Escherichia, and provides the first analysis of trp genes in LSMMG responses. This impacts our understanding of how LSMMG affects bacteria and our ability to modify bacteria with this condition in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anjali Soni
- Villanova University, Biology Department, 800 Lancaster Avenue, Villanova, PA 19085 ; Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Dentistry, Richmond, VA23298
| | - Laura O'Sullivan
- Villanova University, Biology Department, 800 Lancaster Avenue, Villanova, PA 19085 ; University of Pennsylvania,School of Veterinary Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Laura N Quick
- Villanova University, Biology Department, 800 Lancaster Avenue, Villanova, PA 19085 ; Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - C Mark Ott
- NASA/Johnson Space Center, Habitability and Environmental Factors Division, Houston, TX77058
| | - Cheryl A Nickerson
- Arizona State University, Biodesign Institute, Center for Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology, Tempe, AZ85281
| | - James W Wilson
- Villanova University, Biology Department, 800 Lancaster Avenue, Villanova, PA 19085
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Foster JS, Wheeler RM, Pamphile R. Host-microbe interactions in microgravity: assessment and implications. Life (Basel) 2014; 4:250-66. [PMID: 25370197 PMCID: PMC4187166 DOI: 10.3390/life4020250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2014] [Revised: 05/14/2014] [Accepted: 05/20/2014] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Spaceflight imposes several unique stresses on biological life that together can have a profound impact on the homeostasis between eukaryotes and their associated microbes. One such stressor, microgravity, has been shown to alter host-microbe interactions at the genetic and physiological levels. Recent sequencing of the microbiomes associated with plants and animals have shown that these interactions are essential for maintaining host health through the regulation of several metabolic and immune responses. Disruptions to various environmental parameters or community characteristics may impact the resiliency of the microbiome, thus potentially driving host-microbe associations towards disease. In this review, we discuss our current understanding of host-microbe interactions in microgravity and assess the impact of this unique environmental stress on the normal physiological and genetic responses of both pathogenic and mutualistic associations. As humans move beyond our biosphere and undergo longer duration space flights, it will be essential to more fully understand microbial fitness in microgravity conditions in order to maintain a healthy homeostasis between humans, plants and their respective microbiomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie S Foster
- Space Life Science Lab, University of Florida, 505 Odyssey Way, Merritt Island, FL 32953, USA.
| | | | - Regine Pamphile
- Space Life Science Lab, University of Florida, 505 Odyssey Way, Merritt Island, FL 32953, USA.
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Marzorati M, Vanhoecke B, De Ryck T, Sadaghian Sadabad M, Pinheiro I, Possemiers S, Van den Abbeele P, Derycke L, Bracke M, Pieters J, Hennebel T, Harmsen HJ, Verstraete W, Van de Wiele T. The HMI™ module: a new tool to study the Host-Microbiota Interaction in the human gastrointestinal tract in vitro. BMC Microbiol 2014; 14:133. [PMID: 24884540 PMCID: PMC4039060 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2180-14-133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 125] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2013] [Accepted: 04/24/2014] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Recent scientific developments have shed more light on the importance of the host-microbe interaction, particularly in the gut. However, the mechanistic study of the host-microbe interplay is complicated by the intrinsic limitations in reaching the different areas of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) in vivo. In this paper, we present the technical validation of a new device - the Host-Microbiota Interaction (HMI) module - and the evidence that it can be used in combination with a gut dynamic simulator to evaluate the effect of a specific treatment at the level of the luminal microbial community and of the host surface colonization and signaling. Results The HMI module recreates conditions that are physiologically relevant for the GIT: i) a mucosal area to which bacteria can adhere under relevant shear stress (3 dynes cm−2); ii) the bilateral transport of low molecular weight metabolites (4 to 150 kDa) with permeation coefficients ranging from 2.4 × 10−6 to 7.1 × 10−9 cm sec−1; and iii) microaerophilic conditions at the bottom of the growing biofilm (PmO2 = 2.5 × 10−4 cm sec−1). In a long-term study, the host’s cells in the HMI module were still viable after a 48-hour exposure to a complex microbial community. The dominant mucus-associated microbiota differed from the luminal one and its composition was influenced by the treatment with a dried product derived from yeast fermentation. The latter - with known anti-inflammatory properties - induced a decrease of pro-inflammatory IL-8 production between 24 and 48 h. Conclusions The study of the in vivo functionality of adhering bacterial communities in the human GIT and of the localized effect on the host is frequently hindered by the complexity of reaching particular areas of the GIT. The HMI module offers the possibility of co-culturing a gut representative microbial community with enterocyte-like cells up to 48 h and may therefore contribute to the mechanistic understanding of host-microbiome interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Tom Van de Wiele
- Laboratory of Microbial Ecology and Technology (LabMET), Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, B-9000 Gent, Belgium.
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Sathishkumar Y, Velmurugan N, Lee HM, Rajagopal K, Im CK, Lee YS. Effect of low shear modeled microgravity on phenotypic and central chitin metabolism in the filamentous fungi Aspergillus niger and Penicillium chrysogenum. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 2014; 106:197-209. [DOI: 10.1007/s10482-014-0181-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2013] [Accepted: 04/18/2014] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
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Martirosyan V, Ayrapetyan S. Comparative study of time-dependent effects of 4 and 8 Hz mechanical vibration at infrasound frequency on E. coli K-12 cells proliferation. Electromagn Biol Med 2014; 34:293-7. [PMID: 24725172 DOI: 10.3109/15368378.2014.906449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
The aim of the present work is to study the time-dependent effects of mechanical vibration (MV) at infrasound (IS) frequency at 4 and 8 Hz on E. coli K-12 growth by investigating the cell proliferation, using radioactive [(3)H]-thymidine assay. In our previous work it was suggested that the aqua medium can serve as a target through which the biological effect of MV on microbes could be realized. At the same time it was shown that microbes have mechanosensors on the surface of the cells and can sense small changes of the external environment. The obtained results were shown that the time-dependent effects of MV at 4 and 8 Hz frequency could either stimulate or inhibit the growth of microbes depending from exposure time. It more particularly, the invention relates to a method for controlling biological functions through the application of mechanical vibration, thus making it possible to artificially control the functions of bacterial cells, which will allow us to develop method that can be used in agriculture, industry, medicine, biotechnology to control microbial growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Varsik Martirosyan
- a Department of Biotechnology and Biophysics , Life Sciences International Postgraduate Educational Center , Yerevan , Armenia
| | - Sinerik Ayrapetyan
- a Department of Biotechnology and Biophysics , Life Sciences International Postgraduate Educational Center , Yerevan , Armenia
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Kim HW, Matin A, Rhee MS. Microgravity alters the physiological characteristics of Escherichia coli O157:H7 ATCC 35150, ATCC 43889, and ATCC 43895 under different nutrient conditions. Appl Environ Microbiol 2014; 80:2270-8. [PMID: 24487539 PMCID: PMC3993155 DOI: 10.1128/aem.04037-13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2013] [Accepted: 01/24/2014] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The aim of this study is to provide understanding of microgravity effects on important food-borne bacteria, Escherichia coli O157:H7 ATCC 35150, ATCC 43889, and ATCC 43895, cultured in nutrient-rich or minimal medium. Physiological characteristics, such as growth (measured by optical density and plating), cell morphology, and pH, were monitored under low-shear modeled microgravity (LSMMG; space conditions) and normal gravity (NG; Earth conditions). In nutrient-rich medium, all strains except ATCC 35150 showed significantly higher optical density after 6 h of culture under LSMMG conditions than under NG conditions (P < 0.05). LSMMG-cultured cells were approximately 1.8 times larger than NG-cultured cells at 24 h; therefore, it was assumed that the increase in optical density was due to the size of individual cells rather than an increase in the cell population. The higher pH of the NG cultures relative to that of the LSMMG cultures suggests that nitrogen metabolism was slower in the latter. After 24 h of culturing in minimal media, LSMMG-cultured cells had an optical density 1.3 times higher than that of NG-cultured cells; thus, the higher optical density in the LSMMG cultures may be due to an increase in both cell size and number. Since bacteria actively grew under LSMMG conditions in minimal medium despite the lower pH, it is of some concern that LSMMG-cultured E. coli O157:H7 may be able to adapt well to acidic environments. These changes may be caused by changes in nutrient metabolism under LSMMG conditions, although this needs to be demonstrated in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- H. W. Kim
- Department of Food Bioscience and Technology, College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - A. Matin
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Sherman Fairchild Science Building, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | - M. S. Rhee
- Department of Food Bioscience and Technology, College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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48
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Crabbé A, Nielsen-Preiss SM, Woolley CM, Barrila J, Buchanan K, McCracken J, Inglis DO, Searles SC, Nelman-Gonzalez MA, Ott CM, Wilson JW, Pierson DL, Stefanyshyn-Piper HM, Hyman LE, Nickerson CA. Spaceflight enhances cell aggregation and random budding in Candida albicans. PLoS One 2013; 8:e80677. [PMID: 24324620 PMCID: PMC3851762 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0080677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2013] [Accepted: 10/07/2013] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
This study presents the first global transcriptional profiling and phenotypic characterization of the major human opportunistic fungal pathogen, Candida albicans, grown in spaceflight conditions. Microarray analysis revealed that C. albicans subjected to short-term spaceflight culture differentially regulated 452 genes compared to synchronous ground controls, which represented 8.3% of the analyzed ORFs. Spaceflight-cultured C. albicans–induced genes involved in cell aggregation (similar to flocculation), which was validated by microscopic and flow cytometry analysis. We also observed enhanced random budding of spaceflight-cultured cells as opposed to bipolar budding patterns for ground samples, in accordance with the gene expression data. Furthermore, genes involved in antifungal agent and stress resistance were differentially regulated in spaceflight, including induction of ABC transporters and members of the major facilitator family, downregulation of ergosterol-encoding genes, and upregulation of genes involved in oxidative stress resistance. Finally, downregulation of genes involved in actin cytoskeleton was observed. Interestingly, the transcriptional regulator Cap1 and over 30% of the Cap1 regulon was differentially expressed in spaceflight-cultured C. albicans. A potential role for Cap1 in the spaceflight response of C. albicans is suggested, as this regulator is involved in random budding, cell aggregation, and oxidative stress resistance; all related to observed spaceflight-associated changes of C. albicans. While culture of C. albicans in microgravity potentiates a global change in gene expression that could induce a virulence-related phenotype, no increased virulence in a murine intraperitoneal (i.p.) infection model was observed under the conditions of this study. Collectively, our data represent an important basis for the assessment of the risk that commensal flora could play during human spaceflight missions. Furthermore, since the low fluid-shear environment of microgravity is relevant to physical forces encountered by pathogens during the infection process, insights gained from this study could identify novel infectious disease mechanisms, with downstream benefits for the general public.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurélie Crabbé
- Center for Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology, The Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Sheila M. Nielsen-Preiss
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Disease, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montanta, United States of America
| | - Christine M. Woolley
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Disease, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montanta, United States of America
| | - Jennifer Barrila
- Center for Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology, The Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Kent Buchanan
- Department of Biology, Oklahoma City University, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States of America
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Program in Molecular Pathogenesis and Immunity, Tulane University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America
| | - James McCracken
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Program in Molecular Pathogenesis and Immunity, Tulane University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America
- Diabetes and Obesity Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, United States of America
| | - Diane O. Inglis
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University Medical School, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Stephen C. Searles
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Disease, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montanta, United States of America
| | | | - C. Mark Ott
- Biomedical Research and Environmental Sciences Division, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - James W. Wilson
- Center for Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology, The Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Program in Molecular Pathogenesis and Immunity, Tulane University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America
- Department of Biology, Villanova University, Villanova, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Duane L. Pierson
- Biomedical Research and Environmental Sciences Division, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | | | - Linda E. Hyman
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Disease, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montanta, United States of America
- Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Cheryl A. Nickerson
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America
- Center for Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology, The Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Program in Molecular Pathogenesis and Immunity, Tulane University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Lawal A, Kirtley ML, van Lier CJ, Erova TE, Kozlova EV, Sha J, Chopra AK, Rosenzweig JA. The effects of modeled microgravity on growth kinetics, antibiotic susceptibility, cold growth, and the virulence potential of a Yersinia pestis ymoA-deficient mutant and its isogenic parental strain. ASTROBIOLOGY 2013; 13:821-32. [PMID: 23988036 PMCID: PMC3779001 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2013.0968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2013] [Accepted: 06/09/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Previously, we reported that there was no enhancement in the virulence potential (as measured by cell culture infections) of the bacterial pathogen Yersinia pestis (YP) following modeled microgravity/clinorotation growth. We have now further characterized the effects of clinorotation (CR) on YP growth kinetics, antibiotic sensitivity, cold growth, and YP's virulence potential in a murine model of infection. Surprisingly, none of the aforementioned phenotypes were altered. To better understand why CR did not enhance YP's virulence potential as it did for other bacterial pathogens, a YP ΔymoA isogenic mutant in the KIM/D27 background strain that is unable to produce the histone-like YmoA protein and influences DNA topography was used in both cell culture and murine models of infection. YmoA represses type three secretion system (T3SS) virulence gene expression in the yersiniae. Similar to our CR-grown parental YP strain data, the CR-grown ΔymoA mutant induced reduced HeLa cell cytotoxicity with concomitantly decreased Yersinia outer protein E (YopE) and low calcium response V (LcrV) antigen production and secretion. Important, however, were our findings that, although no significant differences were observed in survival of mice infected intraperitoneally with either normal gravity (NG)- or CR-grown parental YP, the ΔymoA mutant induced significantly more mortality in infected mice than did the parental strain following CR growth. Taken together, our data demonstrate that CR did enhance the virulence potential of the YP ΔymoA mutant in a murine infection model (relative to the CR-grown parental strain), despite inducing less HeLa cell rounding in our cell culture infection assay due to reduced T3SS activity. Therefore, CR, which induces a unique type of bacterial stress, might be enhancing YP's virulence potential in vivo through a T3SS-independent mechanism when the histone-like YmoA protein is absent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abidat Lawal
- Department of Biology, Department of Environmental and Interdisciplinary Sciences, Center for Bionanotechnology and Environmental Research (CBER), Texas Southern University, Houston, Texas
| | - Michelle L. Kirtley
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Sealy Center for Vaccine Development, Institute of Human Infections and Immunity, and the Galveston National Laboratory, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas
| | - Christina J. van Lier
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Sealy Center for Vaccine Development, Institute of Human Infections and Immunity, and the Galveston National Laboratory, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas
| | - Tatiana E. Erova
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Sealy Center for Vaccine Development, Institute of Human Infections and Immunity, and the Galveston National Laboratory, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas
| | - Elena V. Kozlova
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Sealy Center for Vaccine Development, Institute of Human Infections and Immunity, and the Galveston National Laboratory, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas
| | - Jian Sha
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Sealy Center for Vaccine Development, Institute of Human Infections and Immunity, and the Galveston National Laboratory, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas
| | - Ashok K. Chopra
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Sealy Center for Vaccine Development, Institute of Human Infections and Immunity, and the Galveston National Laboratory, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas
| | - Jason A. Rosenzweig
- Department of Biology, Department of Environmental and Interdisciplinary Sciences, Center for Bionanotechnology and Environmental Research (CBER), Texas Southern University, Houston, Texas
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50
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Impact of simulated microgravity on the normal developmental time line of an animal-bacteria symbiosis. Sci Rep 2013; 3:1340. [PMID: 23439280 PMCID: PMC3581829 DOI: 10.1038/srep01340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2012] [Accepted: 02/08/2013] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The microgravity environment during space flight imposes numerous adverse effects on animal and microbial physiology. It is unclear, however, how microgravity impacts those cellular interactions between mutualistic microbes and their hosts. Here, we used the symbiosis between the host squid Euprymna scolopes and its luminescent bacterium Vibrio fischeri as a model system. We examined the impact of simulated microgravity on the timeline of bacteria-induced development in the host light organ, the site of the symbiosis. To simulate the microgravity environment, host squid and symbiosis-competent bacteria were incubated together in high-aspect ratio rotating wall vessel bioreactors and examined throughout the early stages of the bacteria-induced morphogenesis. The host innate immune response was suppressed under simulated microgravity; however, there was an acceleration of bacteria-induced apoptosis and regression in the host tissues. These results suggest that the space flight environment may alter the cellular interactions between animal hosts and their natural healthy microbiome.
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