Project description:We differentiated mouse bone marrow cells in the presence of recombinant macrophage colony stimulating (rM-CSF) factor for 14 days during the flight of space shuttle Space Transportation System (STS)-126. We tested the hypothesis that the receptor expression for M-CSF, c-Fms was reduced. We used flow cytometry to assess molecules on cells that were preserved during flight to define the differentiation state of the developing bone marrow macrophages; including CD11b, CD31, CD44, Ly6C, Ly6G, F4/80, Mac2, c-Fos as well as c-Fms. In addition, RNA was preserved during the flight and was used to perform a gene microarray. We found that there were significant differences in the number of macrophages that developed in space compared to controls maintained on Earth. We found that there were significant changes in the distribution of cells that expressed CD11b, CD31, F4/80, Mac2, Ly6C and c-Fos. However, there were no changes in c-Fms expression and no consistent pattern of advanced or retarded differentiation during space flight. We also found a pattern of transcript levels that would be consistent with a relatively normal differentiation outcome but increased proliferation by the bone marrow macrophages that were assayed after 14 days of space flight. There also was a surprising pattern of space flight influence on genes of the coagulation pathway. These data confirm that a space flight can have an impact on the in vitro development of macrophages from mouse bone marrow cells. MESH:Space Flight/Space Flight
Project description:R. rubrum S1H inoculated on solid minimal media was sent to the ISS in September 2006 (BASE-A experiment). After 10 days flight, R. rubrum cultures returned back to Earth. These cultures were then subjected to both transcriptomic and proteomic analysis and compared with the corresponding ground control. Whole-genome oligonucleotide microarray and high throughput proteomics, which offer the possibility to survey respectively the global transcriptional and translational response of an organism, were used to test the effect of space flight. Moreover, in an effort to identify a specific stress response of R. rubrum to space flight, ground simulation of space ionizing radiation and space gravity were performed under identical culture setup and growth conditions encountered during the actual space journey. This study is unique in combining the results from an actual space experiment with the corresponding space ionizing radiation and modeled microgravity ground simulations, which lead to a more solid dissection of the different factors contribution acting in space flight conditions. Total RNA was extracted from R. rubrum S1H grown after 10 days in space flight or after 10 days in simulated ionizing radiation or simulated microgravity. Each microarray slide contained 3 technical repeats.
Project description:R. rubrum S1H inoculated on solid agar rich media was sent to the ISS in October 2003 (MESSAGE-part 2 experiment). After 10 days flight, R. rubrum cultures returned back to Earth. These cultures were then subjected to both transcriptomic and proteomic analysis and compared with the corresponding ground control. Whole-genome oligonucleotide microarray and high throughput proteomics, which offer the possibility to survey respectively the global transcriptional and translational response of an organism, were used to test the effect of space flight. Moreover, in an effort to identify a specific stress response of R. rubrum to space flight, ground simulation of space ionizing radiation and space gravity were performed under identical culture setup and growth conditions encountered during the actual space journey. This study is unique in combining the results from an actual space experiment with the corresponding space ionizing radiation and modeled microgravity ground simulations, which lead to a more solid dissection of the different factors contribution acting in space flight conditions. Total RNA was extracted from R. rubrum S1H grown after 10 days in space flight or after 10 days in simulated ionizing radiation or simulated microgravity. Each microarray slide contained 3 technical repeats.
Project description:Neural crest boundary cap cells were subjected to space flight and compared against controls not subjected to space conditions. The cells were not cultured in a cell incubator during space flight, so one control was the same cells kept outside incubator for the same time. One control was cells cultured during standard conditions. One control was subjected to short pulses of artificial microgravity on earth and one culture was subjected to artificial gravity in the same way as the cells in space.