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Salazar M, Joly S, Anglada-Escudé G, Ribas L. Epigenetic and physiological alterations in zebrafish subjected to hypergravity. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0300310. [PMID: 38776274 PMCID: PMC11111069 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0300310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 05/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Gravity is one of the most constant environmental factors across Earth's evolution and all organisms are adapted to it. Consequently, spatial exploration has captured the interest in studying the biological changes that physiological alterations are caused by gravity. In the last two decades, epigenetics has explained how environmental cues can alter gene functions in organisms. Although many studies addressed gravity, the underlying biological and molecular mechanisms that occur in altered gravity for those epigenetics-related mechanisms, are mostly inexistent. The present study addressed the effects of hypergravity on development, behavior, gene expression, and most importantly, on the epigenetic changes in a worldwide animal model, the zebrafish (Danio rerio). To perform hypergravity experiments, a custom-centrifuge simulating the large diameter centrifuge (100 rpm ~ 3 g) was designed and zebrafish embryos were exposed during 5 days post fertilization (dpf). Results showed a significant decrease in survival at 2 dpf but no significance in the hatching rate. Physiological and morphological alterations including fish position, movement frequency, and swimming behavior showed significant changes due to hypergravity. Epigenetic studies showed significant hypermethylation of the genome of the zebrafish larvae subjected to 5 days of hypergravity. Downregulation of the gene expression of three epigenetic-related genes (dnmt1, dnmt3, and tet1), although not significant, was further observed. Taken altogether, gravity alterations affected biological responses including epigenetics in fish, providing a valuable roadmap of the putative hazards of living beyond Earth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcela Salazar
- Department of Renewable Marine Resources, Institut de Ciències del Mar—Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (ICM-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Silvia Joly
- Department of Renewable Marine Resources, Institut de Ciències del Mar—Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (ICM-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Guillem Anglada-Escudé
- Department of Astrophysics, Institut de Ciències de l’Espai—Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (ICE-CSIC), UAB Campus at Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut d’Estudis Espacials de Catalunya–IEEC/CERCA, Gran Capità, 2–4, Edifici Nexus, Despatx 201, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Laia Ribas
- Department of Renewable Marine Resources, Institut de Ciències del Mar—Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (ICM-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
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2
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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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3
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Chou J, Ramroop JR, Saravia-Butler AM, Wey B, Lera MP, Torres ML, Heavner ME, Iyer J, Mhatre SD, Bhattacharya S, Govind S. Drosophila parasitoids go to space: Unexpected effects of spaceflight on hosts and their parasitoids. iScience 2024; 27:108759. [PMID: 38261932 PMCID: PMC10797188 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Revised: 10/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2024] Open
Abstract
While fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) and humans exhibit immune system dysfunction in space, studies examining their immune systems' interactions with natural parasites in space are lacking. Drosophila parasitoid wasps modify blood cell function to suppress host immunity. In this study, naive and parasitized ground and space flies from a tumor-free control and a blood tumor-bearing mutant strain were examined. Inflammation-related genes were activated in space in both fly strains. Whereas control flies did not develop tumors, tumor burden increased in the space-returned tumor-bearing mutants. Surprisingly, control flies were more sensitive to spaceflight than mutant flies; many of their essential genes were downregulated. Parasitoids appeared more resilient than fly hosts, and spaceflight did not significantly impact wasp survival or the expression of their virulence genes. Previously undocumented mutant wasps with novel wing color and wing shape were isolated post-flight and will be invaluable for host-parasite studies on Earth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Chou
- Biology Department, The City College of New York, 160 Convent Avenue, New York, NY 10031, USA
| | - Johnny R. Ramroop
- Biology Department, The City College of New York, 160 Convent Avenue, New York, NY 10031, USA
| | - Amanda M. Saravia-Butler
- KBR NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
- Space Biosciences Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
| | - Brian Wey
- Biology Department, The City College of New York, 160 Convent Avenue, New York, NY 10031, USA
- PhD Program in Biology, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Matthew P. Lera
- Space Biosciences Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
| | - Medaya L. Torres
- Space Biosciences Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
- Bionetics, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
| | - Mary Ellen Heavner
- Biology Department, The City College of New York, 160 Convent Avenue, New York, NY 10031, USA
- PhD Program in Biochemistry, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Janani Iyer
- KBR NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
- Space Biosciences Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
- Universities Space Research Association, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA
| | - Siddhita D. Mhatre
- KBR NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
- Space Biosciences Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
| | | | - Shubha Govind
- Biology Department, The City College of New York, 160 Convent Avenue, New York, NY 10031, USA
- PhD Program in Biology, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA
- PhD Program in Biochemistry, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA
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4
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Andrade MR, Azeez TA, Montgomery MM, Caldwell JT, Park H, Kwok AT, Borg AM, Narayanan SA, Willey JS, Delp MD, La Favor JD. Neurovascular dysfunction associated with erectile dysfunction persists after long-term recovery from simulations of weightlessness and deep space irradiation. FASEB J 2023; 37:e23246. [PMID: 37990646 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202300506rr] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023]
Abstract
There has been growing interest within the space industry for long-duration manned expeditions to the Moon and Mars. During deep space missions, astronauts are exposed to high levels of galactic cosmic radiation (GCR) and microgravity which are associated with increased risk of oxidative stress and endothelial dysfunction. Oxidative stress and endothelial dysfunction are causative factors in the pathogenesis of erectile dysfunction, although the effects of spaceflight on erectile function have been unexplored. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of simulated spaceflight and long-term recovery on tissues critical for erectile function, the distal internal pudendal artery (dIPA), and the corpus cavernosum (CC). Eighty-six adult male Fisher-344 rats were randomized into six groups and exposed to 4-weeks of hindlimb unloading (HLU) or weight-bearing control, and sham (0Gy), 0.75 Gy, or 1.5 Gy of simulated GCR at the ground-based GCR simulator at the NASA Space Radiation Laboratory. Following a 12-13-month recovery, ex vivo physiological analysis of the dIPA and CC tissue segments revealed differential impacts of HLU and GCR on endothelium-dependent and -independent relaxation that was tissue type specific. GCR impaired non-adrenergic non-cholinergic (NANC) nerve-mediated relaxation in the dIPA and CC, while follow-up experiments of the CC showed restoration of NANC-mediated relaxation of GCR tissues following acute incubation with the antioxidants mito-TEMPO and TEMPOL, as well as inhibitors of xanthine oxidase and arginase. These findings indicate that simulated spaceflight exerts a long-term impairment of neurovascular erectile function, which exposes a new health risk to consider with deep space exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuella R Andrade
- Department of Nutrition and Integrative Physiology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
| | - Tooyib A Azeez
- Department of Nutrition and Integrative Physiology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
| | - McLane M Montgomery
- Department of Nutrition and Integrative Physiology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
| | - Jacob T Caldwell
- Department of Nutrition and Integrative Physiology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
| | - Hyerim Park
- Department of Nutrition and Integrative Physiology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
| | - Andy T Kwok
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
| | - Alexander M Borg
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
| | - S Anand Narayanan
- Department of Nutrition and Integrative Physiology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
| | - Jeffrey S Willey
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
| | - Michael D Delp
- Department of Nutrition and Integrative Physiology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
| | - Justin D La Favor
- Department of Nutrition and Integrative Physiology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
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5
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Lyu B, Li J, Niemeyer B, Anderson DM, Beerntsen B, Song Q. Integrative analysis highlights molecular and immune responses of tick Amblyomma americanum to Escherichia coli challenge. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2023; 13:1236785. [PMID: 37583446 PMCID: PMC10424933 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1236785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Ticks are ectoparasites that can transmit various pathogens capable of causing life-threatening illnesses in people and animals, making them a severe public health threat. Understanding how ticks respond to bacterial infection is crucial for deciphering their immune defense mechanisms and identifying potential targets for controlling tick-borne diseases. In this study, an in-depth transcriptome analysis was used to investigate the molecular and immune responses of Amblyomma americanum to infection caused by the microinjection of Escherichia coli. With an abundance of differentially expressed genes discovered at different times, the analysis demonstrated significant changes in gene expression profiles in response to E. coli challenge. Notably, we found alterations in crucial immune markers, including the antimicrobial peptides defensin and microplusin, suggesting they may play an essential role in the innate immune response. Furthermore, KEGG analysis showed that following E. coli exposure, a number of key enzymes, including lysosomal alpha-glucosidase, fibroblast growth factor, legumain, apoptotic protease-activating factor, etc., were altered, impacting the activity of the lysosome, mitogen-activated protein kinase, antigen processing and presentation, bacterial invasion, apoptosis, and the Toll and immune deficiency pathways. In addition to the transcriptome analysis, we constructed protein interaction networks to elucidate the molecular interactions underlying the tick's response to E. coli challenge. Hub genes were identified, and their functional enrichment provided insights into the regulation of cytoskeleton rearrangement, apoptotic processes, and kinase activity that may occur in infected cells. Collectively, the findings shed light on the potential immune responses in A. americanum that control E. coli infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Lyu
- Division of Plant Science and Technology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, United States
| | - Jingjing Li
- Division of Plant Science and Technology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, United States
| | - Brigid Niemeyer
- Division of Plant Science and Technology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, United States
| | - Deborah M. Anderson
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, United States
| | - Brenda Beerntsen
- Division of Plant Science and Technology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, United States
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, United States
| | - Qisheng Song
- Division of Plant Science and Technology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, United States
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6
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Zarubin M, Azorskaya T, Kuldoshina O, Alekseev S, Mitrofanov S, Kravchenko E. The tardigrade Dsup protein enhances radioresistance in Drosophila melanogaster and acts as an unspecific repressor of transcription. iScience 2023; 26:106998. [PMID: 37534176 PMCID: PMC10391675 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106998] [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] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The tardigrade-unique damage suppressor protein (Dsup) can protect DNA from ionizing radiation and reactive oxygen species (ROS). In this study, we generated Dsup-expressing lines of Drosophila melanogaster and demonstrated that Dsup increased the survival rate after γ-ray irradiation and hydrogen peroxide treatment in flies too, but reduced the level of their locomotor activity. The transcriptome analyses of Dsup-expressing lines revealed a significant number of DEGs, >99% of which were down-regulated. Moreover, Dsup could bind RNA. These findings suggest that Dsup can act not only as a DNA protector but also as a non-specific transcriptional repressor and RNA-binding protein, that may lead to disturbance of a number of biological processes in D. melanogaster. The obtained data demonstrate features of the Dsup protein action in non-tardigrade organisms and can be used to understand the impact of other unspecific DNA/RNA-binding proteins on ROS and radiation resistance, gene expression, and epigenetic processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikhail Zarubin
- Dzhelepov Laboratory of Nuclear Problems, International Intergovernmental Organization Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna 141980, Russia
| | - Talyana Azorskaya
- Dzhelepov Laboratory of Nuclear Problems, International Intergovernmental Organization Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna 141980, Russia
| | - Olga Kuldoshina
- Dzhelepov Laboratory of Nuclear Problems, International Intergovernmental Organization Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna 141980, Russia
| | - Sergey Alekseev
- Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions, International Intergovernmental Organization Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna 141980, Russia
| | - Semen Mitrofanov
- Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions, International Intergovernmental Organization Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna 141980, Russia
| | - Elena Kravchenko
- Dzhelepov Laboratory of Nuclear Problems, International Intergovernmental Organization Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna 141980, Russia
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7
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Multi-system responses to altered gravity and spaceflight: Insights from Drosophila melanogaster. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 142:104880. [PMID: 36126744 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2021] [Revised: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
NASA is planning to resume human-crewed lunar missions and lay the foundation for human exploration to Mars. However, our knowledge of the overall effects of long-duration spaceflight on human physiology is limited. During spaceflight, astronauts are exposed to multiple risk factors, including gravitational changes, ionizing radiation, physiological stress, and altered circadian lighting. These factors contribute to pathophysiological responses that target different organ systems in the body. This review discusses the advancements in gravitational biology using Drosophila melanogaster, one of the first organisms to be launched into space. As a well-established spaceflight model organism, fruit flies have yielded significant information, including neurobehavioral, aging, immune, cardiovascular, developmental, and multi-omics changes across tissues and developmental stages, as detailed in this review.
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8
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Mhatre SD, Iyer J, Petereit J, Dolling-Boreham RM, Tyryshkina A, Paul AM, Gilbert R, Jensen M, Woolsey RJ, Anand S, Sowa MB, Quilici DR, Costes SV, Girirajan S, Bhattacharya S. Artificial gravity partially protects space-induced neurological deficits in Drosophila melanogaster. Cell Rep 2022; 40:111279. [PMID: 36070701 PMCID: PMC10503492 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Revised: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Spaceflight poses risks to the central nervous system (CNS), and understanding neurological responses is important for future missions. We report CNS changes in Drosophila aboard the International Space Station in response to spaceflight microgravity (SFμg) and artificially simulated Earth gravity (SF1g) via inflight centrifugation as a countermeasure. While inflight behavioral analyses of SFμg exhibit increased activity, postflight analysis displays significant climbing defects, highlighting the sensitivity of behavior to altered gravity. Multi-omics analysis shows alterations in metabolic, oxidative stress and synaptic transmission pathways in both SFμg and SF1g; however, neurological changes immediately postflight, including neuronal loss, glial cell count alterations, oxidative damage, and apoptosis, are seen only in SFμg. Additionally, progressive neuronal loss and a glial phenotype in SF1g and SFμg brains, with pronounced phenotypes in SFμg, are seen upon acclimation to Earth conditions. Overall, our results indicate that artificial gravity partially protects the CNS from the adverse effects of spaceflight.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siddhita D Mhatre
- Space Biosciences Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA; KBR, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA; COSMIAC Research Center, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - Janani Iyer
- Space Biosciences Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA; KBR, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA; Universities Space Research Association, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA
| | - Juli Petereit
- Nevada Bioinformatics Center, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557, USA
| | - Roberta M Dolling-Boreham
- Department of Electrical and Biomedical Engineering, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L8, Canada; Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, Seattle, WA 94035, USA
| | - Anastasia Tyryshkina
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Amber M Paul
- Space Biosciences Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA; Universities Space Research Association, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA; Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, Seattle, WA 94035, USA; NASA Postdoctoral Program, Universities Space Research Association, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA; Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Department of Human Factors and Behavioral Neurobiology, Daytona Beach, FL 32114, USA
| | - Rachel Gilbert
- Space Biosciences Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA; NASA Postdoctoral Program, Universities Space Research Association, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
| | - Matthew Jensen
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | | | - Sulekha Anand
- Department of Biological Sciences, San Jose State University, San Jose, CA 95192, USA
| | - Marianne B Sowa
- Space Biosciences Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
| | - David R Quilici
- Nevada Proteomics Center, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557, USA
| | - Sylvain V Costes
- Space Biosciences Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
| | - Santhosh Girirajan
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Sharmila Bhattacharya
- Space Biosciences Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA; Biological and Physical Sciences Division, NASA Headquarters, Washington DC 20024, USA.
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Gilbert R, Tanenbaum N, Bhattacharya S. Asparagine biosynthesis as a mechanism of increased host lethality induced by Serratia marcescens in simulated microgravity environments. Heliyon 2022; 8:e09379. [PMID: 35592661 PMCID: PMC9111996 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e09379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Revised: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
While studies have shown an increase in pathogenicity in several microbes during spaceflight and after exposure to simulated microgravity, the mechanisms underlying these changes in phenotype are not understood across different pathogens, particularly in opportunistic pathogens. This study evaluates the mechanism for increased virulence of the opportunistic gram-negative bacterium, Serratia marcescens, in simulated microgravity. Low-shear modeled microgravity (LSMMG) is used in ground-based studies to simulate the effects of microgravity as experienced in spaceflight. Our previous findings showed that there was a significant increase in mortality rates of the Drosophila melanogaster host when infected with either spaceflight or LSMMG treated S. marcescens. Here, we report that LSMMG increases asparagine uptake and synthesis in S. marcescens and that the increased host lethality induced by LSMMG bacteria grown in rich media can be recapitulated in minimal media by adding only aspartate and glutamine, the substrates of asparagine biosynthesis. Interestingly, increased bacterial growth rate alone is not sufficient to contribute to maximal host lethality, since the addition of aspartate to minimal media caused an LSMMG-specific increase in bacterial growth rate that is comparable to that induced by the combination of aspartate and glutamine, but this increase in growth does not cause an equivalent rate of host mortality. However, the addition of both aspartate and glutamine cause both an increase in host mortality and an overexpression of asparagine pathway genes in a LSMMG-dependent manner. We also report that L-asparaginase-mediated breakdown of asparagine is an effective countermeasure for the increased host mortality caused by LSMMG-treated bacteria. This investigation underscores the importance of the asparagine utilization pathway by helping uncover molecular mechanisms that underlie increased mortality rates of a model host infected with microgravity-treated S. marcescens and provides a potential mitigation strategy.
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10
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Alterations in the activity and sleep of Drosophila melanogaster under simulated microgravity. NPJ Microgravity 2021; 7:27. [PMID: 34294729 PMCID: PMC8298474 DOI: 10.1038/s41526-021-00157-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2021] [Accepted: 06/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate alterations in the activity and sleep of Drosophila melanogaster under simulated microgravity, which was implemented through the random positioning machine, while different light conditions (normal photoperiod and constant dark) were set. Fruit flies of different strains and sexes were treated for 3 days, and activity and sleep were monitored using the Drosophila Activity Monitoring System. After 3 days of treatment, fruit flies were sampled to detect the relative expression levels of the major clock genes and some neurotransmitter-related genes. The results showed that for the normal photoperiod (LD) condition, the activity increased and sleep decreased under simulated microgravity, while for the constant dark (DD) condition, the activity and sleep rhythms appeared disordered and the activity increased, thus decreasing the likelihood of waking up during the day. Light conditions, strains, and sexes, individually or in combination, had impacts on the simulated microgravity effects on behaviors. The clock genes and neurotransmitter-related genes had different degrees of response among sexes and strains, although the overall changes were slight. The results indicated that the normal photoperiod could ease the effects of simulated microgravity on fruit flies' activity and sleep and possible unidentified pathways involved in the regulatory mechanism need further exploration. This study is expected to provide ideas and references for studying the effects of microgravity on space life science.
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11
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Rutter L, Barker R, Bezdan D, Cope H, Costes SV, Degoricija L, Fisch KM, Gabitto MI, Gebre S, Giacomello S, Gilroy S, Green SJ, Mason CE, Reinsch SS, Szewczyk NJ, Taylor DM, Galazka JM, Herranz R, Muratani M. A New Era for Space Life Science: International Standards for Space Omics Processing. PATTERNS (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2020; 1:100148. [PMID: 33336201 PMCID: PMC7733874 DOI: 10.1016/j.patter.2020.100148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Space agencies have announced plans for human missions to the Moon to prepare for Mars. However, the space environment presents stressors that include radiation, microgravity, and isolation. Understanding how these factors affect biology is crucial for safe and effective crewed space exploration. There is a need to develop countermeasures, to adapt plants and microbes for nutrient sources and bioregenerative life support, and to limit pathogen infection. Scientists across the world are conducting space omics experiments on model organisms and, more recently, on humans. Optimal extraction of actionable scientific discoveries from these precious datasets will only occur at the collective level with improved standardization. To address this shortcoming, we established ISSOP (International Standards for Space Omics Processing), an international consortium of scientists who aim to enhance standard guidelines between space biologists at a global level. Here we introduce our consortium and share past lessons learned and future challenges related to spaceflight omics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay Rutter
- Transborder Medical Research Center and Department of Genome Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan
| | - Richard Barker
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Daniela Bezdan
- Institute of Medical Virology and Epidemiology of Viral Diseases, University Hospital, Tubingen, Germany
| | - Henry Cope
- School of Computer Science, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG8 1BB, UK
| | - Sylvain V. Costes
- Space Biosciences Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
| | | | - Kathleen M. Fisch
- Center for Computational Biology & Bioinformatics, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Mariano I. Gabitto
- Flatiron Institute, Center for Computational Biology, Simons Foundation, New York, NY 10010, USA
| | - Samrawit Gebre
- KBR, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
| | | | - Simon Gilroy
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Stefan J. Green
- Genome Research Core, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Christopher E. Mason
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
- The HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Alsaud Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA
- The WorldQuant Initiative for Quantitative Prediction, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
- The Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Sigrid S. Reinsch
- Space Biosciences Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
| | - Nathaniel J. Szewczyk
- Ohio Musculoskeletal and Neurological Institute (OMNI), Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701, USA
| | - Deanne M. Taylor
- Department of Biomedical and Health Informatics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Jonathan M. Galazka
- Space Biosciences Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
| | - Raul Herranz
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas “Margarita Salas” (CSIC), Ramiro de Maeztu 9, Madrid 28040, Spain
| | - Masafumi Muratani
- Transborder Medical Research Center and Department of Genome Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan
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12
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Wang J, Han C, Lu Z, Ge P, Cui Y, Zhao D, Yang X, Wu B, Qiang L, Zhang Y, Chai Q, Lei Z, Li L, Hua Liu C, Zhang L. Simulated microgravity suppresses MAPK pathway-mediated innate immune response to bacterial infection and induces gut microbiota dysbiosis. FASEB J 2020; 34:14631-14644. [PMID: 32918764 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202001428r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2020] [Revised: 08/10/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
During spaceflight, astronauts are subjected to various physical stressors including microgravity, which could cause immune dysfunction and thus potentially predispose astronauts to infections and illness. However, the mechanisms by which microgravity affects innate immunity remain largely unclear. In this study, we conducted RNA-sequencing analysis to show that simulated microgravity (SMG) suppresses the production of inflammatory cytokines including tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) as well as the activation of the innate immune signaling pathways including the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and the Erk1/2 MAPK pathways in the Enteropathogenic escherichia coli (EPEC)-infected macrophage cells. We then adopted hindlimb-unloading (HU) mice, a model mimicking the microgravity of a spaceflight environment, to demonstrate that microgravity suppresses proinflammatory cytokine-mediated intestinal immunity to Citrobacter rodentium infection and induces the disturbance of gut microbiota, both of which phenotypes could be largely corrected by the introduction of VSL#3, a high-concentration probiotic preparation of eight live freeze-dried bacterial species. Taken together, our study provides new insights into microgravity-mediated innate immune suppression and intestinal microbiota disturbance, and suggests that probiotic VSL#3 has great potential as a dietary supplement in protecting individuals from spaceflight mission-associated infections and gut microbiota dysbiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Conghui Han
- School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhe Lu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Savaid Medical School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Pupu Ge
- CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Savaid Medical School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yu Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, National Center of Protein Sciences, Beijing Institute of Lifeomics, Beijing, China
| | - Dongdong Zhao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Savaid Medical School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xi Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, National Center of Protein Sciences, Beijing Institute of Lifeomics, Beijing, China
| | - Bo Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, National Center of Protein Sciences, Beijing Institute of Lifeomics, Beijing, China
| | - Lihua Qiang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Savaid Medical School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yong Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qiyao Chai
- CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Savaid Medical School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zehui Lei
- CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Savaid Medical School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ling Li
- School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Cui Hua Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Savaid Medical School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lingqiang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, National Center of Protein Sciences, Beijing Institute of Lifeomics, Beijing, China
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13
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Gilbert R, Torres M, Clemens R, Hateley S, Hosamani R, Wade W, Bhattacharya S. Spaceflight and simulated microgravity conditions increase virulence of Serratia marcescens in the Drosophila melanogaster infection model. NPJ Microgravity 2020; 6:4. [PMID: 32047838 PMCID: PMC7000411 DOI: 10.1038/s41526-019-0091-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2019] [Accepted: 11/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
While it has been shown that astronauts suffer immune disorders after spaceflight, the underlying causes are still poorly understood and there are many variables to consider when investigating the immune system in a complex environment. Additionally, there is growing evidence that suggests that not only is the immune system being altered, but the pathogens that infect the host are significantly influenced by spaceflight and ground-based spaceflight conditions. In this study, we demonstrate that Serratia marcescens (strain Db11) was significantly more lethal to Drosophila melanogaster after growth on the International Space Station than ground-based controls, but the increased virulence phenotype of S. marcescens did not persist after the bacterial cultures were passaged on the ground. Increased virulence was also observed in bacteria that were grown in simulated microgravity conditions on the ground using the rotating wall vessel. Increased virulence of the space-flown bacteria was similar in magnitude between wild-type flies and those that were mutants for the well-characterized immune pathways Imd and Toll, suggesting that changes to the host immune system after infection are likely not a major factor contributing towards increased susceptibility of ground-reared flies infected with space-flown bacteria. Characterization of the bacteria shows that at later timepoints spaceflight bacteria grew at a greater rate than ground controls in vitro, and in the host. These results suggest complex physiological changes occurring in pathogenic bacteria in space environments, and there may be novel mechanisms mediating these physiological effects that need to be characterized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Gilbert
- NASA Postdoctoral Program, Universities Space Research Association, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA USA
| | - Medaya Torres
- 2FILMSS/Bionetics, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA USA
| | - Rachel Clemens
- 2FILMSS/Bionetics, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA USA
| | - Shannon Hateley
- 3Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA USA
| | - Ravikumar Hosamani
- NASA Postdoctoral Program, Universities Space Research Association, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA USA
| | - William Wade
- 2FILMSS/Bionetics, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA USA
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14
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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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15
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Alwood JS, Ronca AE, Mains RC, Shelhamer MJ, Smith JD, Goodwin TJ. From the bench to exploration medicine: NASA life sciences translational research for human exploration and habitation missions. NPJ Microgravity 2017. [PMID: 28649627 PMCID: PMC5460236 DOI: 10.1038/s41526-016-0002-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
NASA’s Space Biology and Human Research Program entities have recently spearheaded communications both internally and externally to coordinate the agency’s translational research efforts. In this paper, we strongly advocate for translational research at NASA, provide recent examples of NASA sponsored early-stage translational research, and discuss options for a path forward. Our overall objective is to help in stimulating a collaborative research across multiple disciplines and entities that, working together, will more effectively and more rapidly achieve NASA’s goals for human spaceflight.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua S Alwood
- Space BioSciences Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA USA
| | - April E Ronca
- Space BioSciences Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA USA.,Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC USA
| | | | - Mark J Shelhamer
- Human Research Program, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX USA
| | - Jeffrey D Smith
- Space BioSciences Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA USA
| | - Thomas J Goodwin
- Biomedical Research and Environmental Sciences Division, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX USA
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16
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Hosamani R, Leib R, Bhardwaj SR, Adams CM, Bhattacharya S. Elucidating the "Gravome": Quantitative Proteomic Profiling of the Response to Chronic Hypergravity in Drosophila. J Proteome Res 2016; 15:4165-4175. [PMID: 27648494 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.6b00030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Altered gravity conditions, such as experienced by organisms during spaceflight, are known to cause transcriptomic and proteomic changes. We describe the proteomic changes in whole adult Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly) but focus specifically on the localized changes in the adult head in response to chronic hypergravity (3 g) treatment. Canton S adult female flies (2 to 3 days old) were exposed to chronic hypergravity for 9 days and compared with 1 g controls. After hypergravity treatment, either whole flies (body + head) or fly-head-only samples were isolated and evaluated for quantitative comparison of the two gravity conditions using an isobaric tagging liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry approach. A total of 1948 proteins from whole flies and 1480 proteins from fly heads were differentially present in hypergravity-treated flies. Gene Ontology analysis of head-specific proteomics revealed host immune response, and humoral stress proteins were significantly upregulated. Proteins related to calcium regulation, ion transport, and ATPase were decreased. Increased expression of cuticular proteins may suggest an alteration in chitin metabolism and in chitin-based cuticle development. We therefore present a comprehensive quantitative survey of proteomic changes in response to chronic hypergravity in Drosophila, which will help elucidate the underlying molecular mechanism(s) associated with altered gravity environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ravikumar Hosamani
- Space Biosciences Division, NASA Ames Research Center , Moffett Field, California 94035, United States
| | - Ryan Leib
- Stanford University Mass Spectrometry (SUMS) , Palo Alto, California 94305, United States
| | - Shilpa R Bhardwaj
- Space Biosciences Division, NASA Ames Research Center , Moffett Field, California 94035, United States
| | - Christopher M Adams
- Stanford University Mass Spectrometry (SUMS) , Palo Alto, California 94305, United States
| | - Sharmila Bhattacharya
- Space Biosciences Division, NASA Ames Research Center , Moffett Field, California 94035, United States
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17
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Hateley S, Hosamani R, Bhardwaj SR, Pachter L, Bhattacharya S. Transcriptomic response of Drosophila melanogaster pupae developed in hypergravity. Genomics 2016; 108:158-167. [PMID: 27621057 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2016.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2016] [Revised: 08/12/2016] [Accepted: 09/08/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Altered gravity can perturb normal development and induce corresponding changes in gene expression. Understanding this relationship between the physical environment and a biological response is important for NASA's space travel goals. We use RNA-Seq and qRT-PCR techniques to profile changes in early Drosophila melanogaster pupae exposed to chronic hypergravity (3g, or three times Earth's gravity). During the pupal stage, D. melanogaster rely upon gravitational cues for proper development. Assessing gene expression changes in the pupae under altered gravity conditions helps highlight gravity-dependent genetic pathways. A robust transcriptional response was observed in hypergravity-treated pupae compared to controls, with 1513 genes showing a significant (q<0.05) difference in gene expression. Five major biological processes were affected: ion transport, redox homeostasis, immune response, proteolysis, and cuticle development. This outlines the underlying molecular and biological changes occurring in Drosophila pupae in response to hypergravity; gravity is important for many biological processes on Earth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon Hateley
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States.
| | - Ravikumar Hosamani
- Space Biosciences Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Mountain View, CA 94035, United States.
| | - Shilpa R Bhardwaj
- Space Biosciences Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Mountain View, CA 94035, United States.
| | - Lior Pachter
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States; Departments of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States.
| | - Sharmila Bhattacharya
- Space Biosciences Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Mountain View, CA 94035, United States.
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18
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Roy R, Shilpa PP, Bagh S. A Systems Biology Analysis Unfolds the Molecular Pathways and Networks of Two Proteobacteria in Spaceflight and Simulated Microgravity Conditions. ASTROBIOLOGY 2016; 16:677-689. [PMID: 27623197 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2015.1420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Bacteria are important organisms for space missions due to their increased pathogenesis in microgravity that poses risks to the health of astronauts and for projected synthetic biology applications at the space station. We understand little about the effect, at the molecular systems level, of microgravity on bacteria, despite their significant incidence. In this study, we proposed a systems biology pipeline and performed an analysis on published gene expression data sets from multiple seminal studies on Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium under spaceflight and simulated microgravity conditions. By applying gene set enrichment analysis on the global gene expression data, we directly identified a large number of new, statistically significant cellular and metabolic pathways involved in response to microgravity. Alteration of metabolic pathways in microgravity has rarely been reported before, whereas in this analysis metabolic pathways are prevalent. Several of those pathways were found to be common across studies and species, indicating a common cellular response in microgravity. We clustered genes based on their expression patterns using consensus non-negative matrix factorization. The genes from different mathematically stable clusters showed protein-protein association networks with distinct biological functions, suggesting the plausible functional or regulatory network motifs in response to microgravity. The newly identified pathways and networks showed connection with increased survival of pathogens within macrophages, virulence, and antibiotic resistance in microgravity. Our work establishes a systems biology pipeline and provides an integrated insight into the effect of microgravity at the molecular systems level. KEY WORDS Systems biology-Microgravity-Pathways and networks-Bacteria. Astrobiology 16, 677-689.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raktim Roy
- 1 Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Presidency University , Kolkata, India
| | - P Phani Shilpa
- 1 Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Presidency University , Kolkata, India
| | - Sangram Bagh
- 2 Biophysics and Structural Genomics Division, Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics , Kolkata, India
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19
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Zhang Y, Lu T, Wong M, Wang X, Stodieck L, Karouia F, Story M, Wu H. Transient gene and microRNA expression profile changes of confluent human fibroblast cells in spaceflight. FASEB J 2016; 30:2211-24. [PMID: 26917741 DOI: 10.1096/fj.201500121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2015] [Accepted: 02/10/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Microgravity, or an altered gravity environment different from the 1 g of the Earth, has been shown to influence global gene expression patterns and protein levels in cultured cells. However, most of the reported studies that have been conducted in space or by using simulated microgravity on the ground have focused on the growth or differentiation of these cells. It has not been specifically addressed whether nonproliferating cultured cells will sense the presence of microgravity in space. In an experiment conducted onboard the International Space Station, confluent human fibroblast cells were fixed after being cultured in space for 3 and 14 d, respectively, to investigate changes in gene and microRNA (miRNA) expression profiles in these cells. Results of the experiment showed that on d 3, both the flown and ground cells were still proliferating slowly, as measured by the percentage of Ki-67(+) cells. Gene and miRNA expression data indicated activation of NF-κB and other growth-related pathways that involve hepatocyte growth factor and VEGF as well as the down-regulation of the Let-7 miRNA family. On d 14, when the cells were mostly nonproliferating, the gene and miRNA expression profile of the flight sample was indistinguishable from that of the ground sample. Comparison of gene and miRNA expressions in the d 3 samples, with respect to d 14, revealed that most of the changes observed on d 3 were related to cell growth for both the flown and ground cells. Analysis of cytoskeletal changes via immunohistochemistry staining of the cells with antibodies for α-tubulin and fibronectin showed no difference between the flown and ground samples. Taken together, our study suggests that in true nondividing human fibroblast cells in culture, microgravity experienced in space has little effect on gene and miRNA expression profiles.-Zhang, Y., Lu, T., Wong, M., Wang, X., Stodieck, L., Karouia, F., Story, M., Wu, H. Transient gene and microRNA expression profile changes of confluent human fibroblast cells in spaceflight.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ye Zhang
- Johnson Space Center, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Houston, Texas, USA; Wyle Laboratories, Houston, Texas, USA; Kennedy Space Center, NASA, Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA
| | - Tao Lu
- Johnson Space Center, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Houston, Texas, USA; University of Houston Clear Lake, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Michael Wong
- Johnson Space Center, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Xiaoyu Wang
- University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | | | - Fathi Karouia
- Ames Research Center, NASA, Moffett Field, California, USA; and University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Michael Story
- University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Honglu Wu
- Johnson Space Center, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Houston, Texas, USA;
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20
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Ma L, Ma J, Xu K. Effect of spaceflight on the circadian rhythm, lifespan and gene expression of Drosophila melanogaster. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0121600. [PMID: 25798821 PMCID: PMC4370389 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0121600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2014] [Accepted: 02/16/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Space travelers are reported to experience circadian rhythm disruption during spaceflight. However, how the space environment affects circadian rhythm is yet to be determined. The major focus of this study was to investigate the effect of spaceflight on the Drosophila circadian clock at both the behavioral and molecular level. We used China's Shenzhou-9 spaceship to carry Drosophila. After 13 days of spaceflight, behavior tests showed that the flies maintained normal locomotor activity rhythm and sleep pattern. The expression level and rhythm of major clock genes were also unaffected. However, expression profiling showed differentially regulated output genes of the circadian clock system between space flown and control flies, suggesting that spaceflight affected the circadian output pathway. We also investigated other physiological effects of spaceflight such as lipid metabolism and lifespan, and searched genes significantly affected by spaceflight using microarray analysis. These results provide new information on the effects of spaceflight on circadian rhythm, lipid metabolism and lifespan. Furthermore, we showed that studying the effect of spaceflight on gene expression using samples collected at different Zeitgeber time could obtain different results, suggesting the importance of appropriate sampling procedures in studies on the effects of spaceflight.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingling Ma
- Laboratory of Space Microbiology, Shenzhou Space Biotechnology Group, China Academy of Space Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Jun Ma
- Laboratory of Space Microbiology, Shenzhou Space Biotechnology Group, China Academy of Space Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Kanyan Xu
- Laboratory of Space Microbiology, Shenzhou Space Biotechnology Group, China Academy of Space Technology, Beijing, China
- * E-mail:
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21
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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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22
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Pragya P, Shukla AK, Murthy RC, Abdin MZ, Kar Chowdhuri D. Over-expression of superoxide dismutase ameliorates Cr(VI) induced adverse effects via modulating cellular immune system of Drosophila melanogaster. PLoS One 2014; 9:e88181. [PMID: 24505420 PMCID: PMC3913750 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0088181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2013] [Accepted: 01/05/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The evolutionarily conserved innate immune system plays critical role for maintaining the health of an organism. However, a number of environmental chemicals including metals are known to exert adverse effects on immune system. The present study assessed the in vivo effect of a major environmental chemical, Cr(VI), on cellular immune response using Drosophila melanogaster and subsequently the protective role of superoxide dismutase (SOD) based on the comparable performance of the tested anti-oxidant enzymes. The immuno-modulatory potential of Cr(VI) was demonstrated by observing a significant reduction in the total hemocyte count along with impaired phagocytic activity in exposed organism. Concurrently, a significant increase in the percentage of Annexin V-FITC positive cells, activation of DEVDase activity, generation of free radical species along with inhibition of anti-oxidant enzyme activities was observed in the hemocytes of exposed organism. In addition, we have shown that ONOO(-) is primarily responsible for Cr(VI) induced adverse effects on Drosophila hemocytes along with O2(-). While generation of O2(-)/ONOO(-) in Cr(VI) exposed Drosophila hemocytes was found to be responsible for the suppression of Drosophila cellular immune response, Cr(VI) induced alteration was significantly reduced by the over-expression of sod in Drosophila hemocytes. Overall, our results suggest that manipulation of one of the anti-oxidant genes, sod, benefits the organism from Cr(VI) induced alteration in cellular immunity. Further, this study demonstrates the applicability of D. melanogaster to examine the possible effects of environmental chemicals on innate immunity which can be extrapolated to higher organisms due to evolutionary conservation of innate immune system between Drosophila and mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prakash Pragya
- Embryotoxicology Section, CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
- Department of Biotechnology, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, India
| | - Arvind Kumar Shukla
- Embryotoxicology Section, CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
- Department of Biotechnology, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, India
| | - Ramesh Chandra Murthy
- Analytical Section, CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | | | - Debapratim Kar Chowdhuri
- Embryotoxicology Section, CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
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Toll mediated infection response is altered by gravity and spaceflight in Drosophila. PLoS One 2014; 9:e86485. [PMID: 24475130 PMCID: PMC3901686 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0086485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2013] [Accepted: 12/12/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Space travel presents unlimited opportunities for exploration and discovery, but requires better understanding of the biological consequences of long-term exposure to spaceflight. Immune function in particular is relevant for space travel. Human immune responses are weakened in space, with increased vulnerability to opportunistic infections and immune-related conditions. In addition, microorganisms can become more virulent in space, causing further challenges to health. To understand these issues better and to contribute to design of effective countermeasures, we used the Drosophila model of innate immunity to study immune responses in both hypergravity and spaceflight. Focusing on infections mediated through the conserved Toll and Imd signaling pathways, we found that hypergravity improves resistance to Toll-mediated fungal infections except in a known gravitaxis mutant of the yuri gagarin gene. These results led to the first spaceflight project on Drosophila immunity, in which flies that developed to adulthood in microgravity were assessed for immune responses by transcription profiling on return to Earth. Spaceflight alone altered transcription, producing activation of the heat shock stress system. Space flies subsequently infected by fungus failed to activate the Toll pathway. In contrast, bacterial infection produced normal activation of the Imd pathway. We speculate on possible linkage between functional Toll signaling and the heat shock chaperone system. Our major findings are that hypergravity and spaceflight have opposing effects, and that spaceflight produces stress-related transcriptional responses and results in a specific inability to mount a Toll-mediated infection response.
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Han M, Qin S, Song X, Li Y, Jin P, Chen L, Ma F. Evolutionary rate patterns of genes involved in the Drosophila Toll and Imd signaling pathway. BMC Evol Biol 2013; 13:245. [PMID: 24209511 PMCID: PMC3826850 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2148-13-245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2013] [Accepted: 11/06/2013] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND To survive in a hostile environment, insects have evolved an innate immune system to defend against infection. Studies have shown that natural selection may drive the evolution of immune system-related proteins. Yet, how network architecture influences protein sequence evolution remains unclear. Here, we analyzed the molecular evolutionary patterns of genes in the Toll and Imd innate immune signaling pathways across six Drosophila genomes within the context of a functional network. RESULTS Based on published literature, we identified 50 genes that are directly involved in the Drosophila Toll and Imd signaling pathways. Of those genes, only two (Sphinx1 and Dnr1) exhibited signals of positive selection. There existed a negative correlation between the strength of purifying selection and gene position within the pathway; the downstream genes were more conserved, indicating that they were subjected to stronger evolutionary constraints. Interestingly, there was also a significantly negative correlation between the rate of protein evolution and the number of regulatory microRNAs, implying that genes regulated by more miRNAs experience stronger functional constraints and therefore evolve more slowly. CONCLUSION Taken together, our results suggested that both network architecture and miRNA regulation affect protein sequence evolution. These findings improve our understanding of the evolutionary patterns of genes involved in Drosophila innate immune pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Fei Ma
- Laboratory for Comparative Genomics and Bioinformatics & Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Science, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, P, R China.
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Longdon B, Cao C, Martinez J, Jiggins FM. Previous exposure to an RNA virus does not protect against subsequent infection in Drosophila melanogaster. PLoS One 2013; 8:e73833. [PMID: 24040086 PMCID: PMC3770682 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0073833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2013] [Accepted: 07/31/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Immune priming has been shown to occur in a wide array of invertebrate taxa, with individuals exposed to a pathogen showing increased protection upon subsequent exposure. However, the mechanisms underlying immune priming are poorly understood. The antiviral RNAi response in Drosophila melanogaster is an ideal candidate for providing a specific and acquired response to subsequent infection. We exposed D. melanogaster to two challenges of a virus known to produce an antiviral RNAi response, to examine whether any protective effects of prior exposure on survival were observed. RESULTS In this experiment we found no evidence that prior exposure to Drosophila C Virus (DCV) protects flies from a subsequent lethal challenge, with almost identical levels of mortality in flies previously exposed to DCV or a control. CONCLUSIONS Our results confirm the finding that 'acquired' immune responses are not ubiquitous across all invertebrate-pathogen interactions. We discuss why we may have observed no effect in this study, with focus on the mechanistic basis of the RNAi pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben Longdon
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Chuan Cao
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Julien Martinez
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Francis M. Jiggins
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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Drosophila melanogaster model for Mycobacterium abscessus infection. Microbes Infect 2013; 15:788-95. [PMID: 23831804 DOI: 10.1016/j.micinf.2013.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2013] [Revised: 06/25/2013] [Accepted: 06/26/2013] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Mycobacterium abscessus is a human pathogen that is responsible for a broad spectrum of tissue infections and disseminated infections in immunodeficient patients. This pathogen is one of the most resistant organisms to chemotherapeutic agents. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, is a genetically tractable model host for M. abscessus. In this context, we infected D. melanogaster with M. abscessus. This M. abscessus infection results in dissemination in the fly body, followed by death, which is accompanied by severe indirect flight muscle and brain damage. Our data show that M. abscessus can grow and replicate in D. melanogaster w(1118) and that it elicited a humoral immune response, especially of the Toll antimicrobial peptide pathway. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report that mycobacteria induce the production of antimicrobial peptides in D. melanogaster.
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Kim W, Tengra FK, Young Z, Shong J, Marchand N, Chan HK, Pangule RC, Parra M, Dordick JS, Plawsky JL, Collins CH. Spaceflight promotes biofilm formation by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. PLoS One 2013; 8:e62437. [PMID: 23658630 PMCID: PMC3639165 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0062437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2012] [Accepted: 03/20/2013] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding the effects of spaceflight on microbial communities is crucial for the success of long-term, manned space missions. Surface-associated bacterial communities, known as biofilms, were abundant on the Mir space station and continue to be a challenge on the International Space Station. The health and safety hazards linked to the development of biofilms are of particular concern due to the suppression of immune function observed during spaceflight. While planktonic cultures of microbes have indicated that spaceflight can lead to increases in growth and virulence, the effects of spaceflight on biofilm development and physiology remain unclear. To address this issue, Pseudomonas aeruginosa was cultured during two Space Shuttle Atlantis missions: STS-132 and STS-135, and the biofilms formed during spaceflight were characterized. Spaceflight was observed to increase the number of viable cells, biofilm biomass, and thickness relative to normal gravity controls. Moreover, the biofilms formed during spaceflight exhibited a column-and-canopy structure that has not been observed on Earth. The increase in the amount of biofilms and the formation of the novel architecture during spaceflight were observed to be independent of carbon source and phosphate concentrations in the media. However, flagella-driven motility was shown to be essential for the formation of this biofilm architecture during spaceflight. These findings represent the first evidence that spaceflight affects community-level behaviors of bacteria and highlight the importance of understanding how both harmful and beneficial human-microbe interactions may be altered during spaceflight.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wooseong Kim
- Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York, USA
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Paul AL, Zupanska AK, Ostrow DT, Zhang Y, Sun Y, Li JL, Shanker S, Farmerie WG, Amalfitano CE, Ferl RJ. Spaceflight transcriptomes: unique responses to a novel environment. ASTROBIOLOGY 2012; 12:1-2. [PMID: 22221117 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2011.0745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
The spaceflight environment presents unique challenges to terrestrial biology, including but not limited to the direct effects of gravity. As we near the end of the Space Shuttle era, there remain fundamental questions about the response and adaptation of plants to orbital spaceflight conditions. We address a key baseline question of whether gene expression changes are induced by the orbital environment, and then we ask whether undifferentiated cells, cells presumably lacking the typical gravity response mechanisms, perceive spaceflight. Arabidopsis seedlings and undifferentiated cultured Arabidopsis cells were launched in April, 2010, as part of the BRIC-16 flight experiment on STS-131. Biologically replicated DNA microarray and averaged RNA digital transcript profiling revealed several hundred genes in seedlings and cell cultures that were significantly affected by launch and spaceflight. The response was moderate in seedlings; only a few genes were induced by more than 7-fold, and the overall intrinsic expression level for most differentially expressed genes was low. In contrast, cell cultures displayed a more dramatic response, with dozens of genes showing this level of differential expression, a list comprised primarily of heat shock-related and stress-related genes. This baseline transcriptome profiling of seedlings and cultured cells confirms the fundamental hypothesis that survival of the spaceflight environment requires adaptive changes that are both governed and displayed by alterations in gene expression. The comparison of intact plants with cultures of undifferentiated cells confirms a second hypothesis: undifferentiated cells can detect spaceflight in the absence of specialized tissue or organized developmental structures known to detect gravity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna-Lisa Paul
- Horticultural Sciences and Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
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Paul AL, Zupanska AK, Ostrow DT, Zhang Y, Sun Y, Li JL, Shanker S, Farmerie WG, Amalfitano CE, Ferl RJ. Spaceflight transcriptomes: unique responses to a novel environment. ASTROBIOLOGY 2012; 12:40-56. [PMID: 22221117 PMCID: PMC3264962 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2011.0696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2011] [Accepted: 10/08/2011] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
The spaceflight environment presents unique challenges to terrestrial biology, including but not limited to the direct effects of gravity. As we near the end of the Space Shuttle era, there remain fundamental questions about the response and adaptation of plants to orbital spaceflight conditions. We address a key baseline question of whether gene expression changes are induced by the orbital environment, and then we ask whether undifferentiated cells, cells presumably lacking the typical gravity response mechanisms, perceive spaceflight. Arabidopsis seedlings and undifferentiated cultured Arabidopsis cells were launched in April, 2010, as part of the BRIC-16 flight experiment on STS-131. Biologically replicated DNA microarray and averaged RNA digital transcript profiling revealed several hundred genes in seedlings and cell cultures that were significantly affected by launch and spaceflight. The response was moderate in seedlings; only a few genes were induced by more than 7-fold, and the overall intrinsic expression level for most differentially expressed genes was low. In contrast, cell cultures displayed a more dramatic response, with dozens of genes showing this level of differential expression, a list comprised primarily of heat shock-related and stress-related genes. This baseline transcriptome profiling of seedlings and cultured cells confirms the fundamental hypothesis that survival of the spaceflight environment requires adaptive changes that are both governed and displayed by alterations in gene expression. The comparison of intact plants with cultures of undifferentiated cells confirms a second hypothesis: undifferentiated cells can detect spaceflight in the absence of specialized tissue or organized developmental structures known to detect gravity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna-Lisa Paul
- Horticultural Sciences and Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| | | | | | | | - Yijun Sun
- University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| | | | | | | | | | - Robert J. Ferl
- Interdisciplinary Center for Biotechnology and Research, Horticultural Sciences and Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
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