Review
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Aranzazu Manzano, Eugenie Carnero-Diaz, Raul Herranz, F. Javier Medina
Summary: This article reviews transcriptomic studies conducted on plants grown in spaceflights and different ground-based microgravity simulators, and found that cell wall remodeling, oxidative stress, defense response, and photosynthesis are common altered processes in plants grown under spaceflight conditions.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Junyan Xie, Lihua Wang, Huiqiong Zheng
Summary: Understanding how spaceflight affects plant flowering is crucial for long-term human space exploration. Recent space experiments showed that flowering initiation in plants was delayed by about 20 days in space compared to the control group on the ground, and gene expression levels were altered.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Rory Burke, Aideen McCabe, Neetu Ramesh Sonawane, Meet Hasmukh Rathod, Conor V. Whelan, Paul F. McCabe, Joanna Kacprzyk
Summary: Programmed cell death (PCD) is a genetically controlled process that eliminates redundant, damaged, or infected cells. This study used RNA sequencing and Arabidopsis thaliana suspension cells to identify PCD-associated genes and infer regulatory networks of PCD in plants.
Article
Plant Sciences
Wenbo Shan, Michaela Kubova, Terezie Mandakova, Martin A. Lysak
Summary: The nuclear organization in Arabidopsis thaliana, characterized by nucleolus-associated telomere clustering, is found to be universal in small-genome crucifer species but varies in large-genome species. This suggests that genomic properties rather than phylogenetic position play a significant role in determining interphase nuclear organization in crucifer genomes, where factors such as nuclear genome size and chromosome compartmentalization influence chromosome organization.
Article
Plant Sciences
Monika Zakrzewska-Placzek, Anna Golisz-Mocydlarz, Michal Krzyszton, Justyna Piotrowska, Malgorzata Lichocka, Joanna Kufel
Summary: This study demonstrates the involvement of AtNOL12 in rRNA biogenesis and its correlation with stress response in plants. The absence of AtNOL12 alters the expression of ribosomal protein and ribosome biogenesis genes, potentially impacting ribosome function.
Article
Immunology
Minjin Kim, Gyeongin Jang, Kyu-Sung Kim, Jinwook Shin
Summary: Microgravity negatively regulates the survival and effector function of mast cells, as well as impairs mast cell degranulation and cytokine secretion.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Craig S. S. Pikaard, Chinmayi Chandrasekhara, Anastasia McKinlay, Ramya Enganti, Dalen Fultz
Summary: Nucleolus organizer regions (NORs) are chromosomal loci where rRNA genes are clustered. NORs have been found to exhibit morphological differences in interspecific hybrids, which correlate with differences in rRNA gene transcription, known as nucleolar dominance. Studies have shown that nucleolar dominance is a result of selective rRNA gene silencing, involving chromatin modifications, and can occur in pure species as well as hybrids. Recent evidence suggests that silencing depends on the NOR location rather than the gene sequence.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Hongcheng Zhao, Nan Sun, Lin Huang, Ruyi Qian, Xianyong Lin, Chengliang Sun, Yongguan Zhu
Summary: The molecular mechanism of root development mediated by the beneficial bacterium Azospirillum brasilense is not fully understood. A. brasilense induces extensive transcriptional changes but inhibits primary root elongation in Arabidopsis. Through analysis of root cell type-specific markers, it was found that A. brasilense does not alter the overall organization or cell division of the primary root meristem. The inhibition of root elongation is primarily due to the reduction of cell elongation, which is caused by bacterially activated peroxidase leading to cell wall cross-linking. The activation of peroxidase, in combination with the downregulation of cell wall loosening enzymes, results in an increase in cell wall thickness.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mei ElGindi, Ibrahim Hamed Ibrahim, Jiranuwat Sapudom, Anna Garcia-Sabate, Jeremy C. M. Teo
Summary: With the increase in manned space flights, research on the effects of microgravity on the human body has become more important. Simulated microgravity platforms have become a popular way to study these effects on earth. The designed microvessel can effectively be used for long-term high-throughput biomedical studies.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Anastasia McKinlay, Dalen Fultz, Feng Wang, Craig S. Pikaard
Summary: This paper presents a simple method for achieving greater than tenfold enrichment of Arabidopsis thaliana 45S rRNA gene sequences among ultra-long sequencing reads, providing a new approach for locating missing regions.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2021)
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Chiyuan Ma, Xianglong Duan, Xiaohua Lei
Summary: Microgravity has profound effects on cell growth and differentiation, and three-dimensional (3D) culture scaffolds provide a more accurate representation of these effects compared to traditional two-dimensional (2D) culture methods. Hydrogels, in particular, mimic the in vivo environment and show promise in understanding the response of cells to microgravity. This review also highlights the importance of studying cell growth and differentiation under real or simulated microgravity conditions, and the potential of hydrogel-based 3D culture models in various applications.
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Haiyue Ai, Julia Bellstaedt, Kai Steffen Bartusch, Lennart Eschen-Lippold, Steve Babben, Gerd Ulrich Balcke, Alain Tissier, Bettina Hause, Tonni Grube Andersen, Carolin Delker, Marcel Quint
Summary: Roots are able to sense and respond to elevated temperature independently of shoot-derived signals. This response is mediated by an unknown root thermosensor that uses auxin as a messenger to relay temperature signals to the cell cycle. Growth promotion is primarily achieved by increasing cell division rates in the root apical meristem, dependent on de novo local auxin biosynthesis and temperature-sensitive organization of the polar auxin transport system.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mei ElGindi, Jiranuwat Sapudom, Praveen Laws, Anna Garcia-Sabate, Mohammed F. Daqaq, Jeremy Teo
Summary: This study investigates the effects of simulated microgravity on circulating and tissue-resident T cells. By comparing the differences between 2D and 3D cell culture, it was found that the 3D cell culture mitigates some of the adverse effects of simulated microgravity on T cells. Additionally, activated T cells seem to be less affected by simulated microgravity.
CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR LIFE SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Chengfei Li, Yikai Pan, Yingjun Tan, Yongchun Wang, Xiqing Sun
Summary: This study investigated the induction mechanism of mitophagy in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) under simulated microgravity conditions and demonstrated the relationship between mitophagy and vascular endothelial functional changes. It deepens the understanding of vascular functional changes under microgravity.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Maura John, Florian Haselbeck, Rupashree Dass, Christoph Malisi, Patrizia Ricca, Christian Dreischer, Sebastian J. Schultheiss, Dominik G. Grimm
Summary: Genomic selection is an important tool for breeders, allowing them to select plants accurately based on genotype data and improve breeding programs. This study compared 12 different phenotype prediction models on simulated and real-world data, finding that some established methods performed well on simulated data but further research is needed for real-world data.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Eliah G. Overbey, Amanda M. Saravia-Butler, Zhe Zhang, Komal S. Rathi, Homer Fogle, Willian A. da Silveira, Richard J. Barker, Joseph J. Bass, Afshin Beheshti, Daniel C. Berrios, Elizabeth A. Blaber, Egle Cekanaviciute, Helio A. Costa, Laurence B. Davin, Kathleen M. Fisch, Samrawit G. Gebre, Matthew Geniza, Rachel Gilbert, Simon Gilroy, Gary Hardiman, Raul Herranz, Yared H. Kidane, Colin P. S. Kruse, Michael D. Lee, Ted Liefeld, Norman G. Lewis, J. Tyson McDonald, Robert Meller, Tejaswini Mishra, Imara Y. Perera, Shayoni Ray, Sigrid S. Reinsch, Sara Brin Rosenthal, Michael Strong, Nathaniel J. Szewczyk, Candice G. T. Tahimic, Deanne M. Taylor, Joshua P. Vandenbrink, Alicia Villacampa, Silvio Weging, Chris Wolverton, Sarah E. Wyatt, Luis Zea, Sylvain Costes, Jonathan M. Galazka
Summary: With the advancement of transcriptomic technologies, NASA GeneLab and associated working groups have developed a consensus pipeline for analyzing short-read RNA-sequencing data from spaceflight experiments, which is now publicly available. This aims to promote transparency, reproducibility, and reusability of data, provide a template for future data processing, and encourage cross-analysis of data from different databases.
Article
Plant Sciences
Aranzazu Manzano, Veronica Pereda-Loth, Anne de Bures, Julio Saez-Vasquez, Raul Herranz, F. Javier Medina
Summary: The study found that using a photoperiod regime under simulated microgravity conditions can mitigate the effects of gravitational stress at the cellular level in root meristem cells. Light signals may replace or supplement gravity signals, leading to improved plant growth and development in microgravity. The results suggest potential new strategies to produce more resilient plants for future extraterrestrial endeavors.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Luigi Gennaro Izzo, Leone Ermes Romano, Lucius Wilhelminus Franciscus Muthert, Maurizio Iovane, Fiore Capozzi, Aranzazu Manzano, Malgorzata Ciska, Raul Herranz, F. Javier Medina, John Z. Kiss, Jack J. W. A. van Loon, Giovanna Aronne
Summary: The study focused on the effects of different gravity levels and light treatments on root growth orientation. Results showed that roots exhibited negative phototropism under unilateral blue or white light, while roots illuminated with red light showed weak bending in simulated microgravity and were similar to roots grown in the dark under all gravity levels. Consideration of directional lighting as an effective stimulus for guiding root growth in various gravity conditions was highlighted.
ENVIRONMENTAL AND EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Tatsiana Shymanovich, Joshua P. Vandenbrink, Raul Herranz, F. Javier Medina, John Z. Kiss
Summary: In this study, we investigated the interaction between phototropism and gravitropism in Arabidopsis thaliana under microgravity conditions on the International Space Station. Through gene profiling analyses, we identified five genes that showed differential expression in space and had effects on both phototropism and gravitropism. The most significant finding was the role of the NFL gene encoding an intermediate filament protein in signal transduction in plants.
PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Giovanna Aronne, Lucius Wilhelminus Franciscus Muthert, Luigi Gennaro Izzo, Leone Ermes Romano, Maurizio Iovane, Fiore Capozzi, Aranzazu Manzano, Malgorzata Ciska, Raul Herranz, F. Javier Medina, John Z. Kiss, Jack J. W. A. van Loon
Summary: Long-duration space missions will require the use of plants in bio-regenerative life support systems, highlighting the need for experiments on the effects of altered gravity conditions on plant biological processes. This study presents a cost-effective device for analyzing the interaction between gravity and light on root tropisms, which proved to be effective and reliable in achieving scientific goals. The concepts developed in this research can be further expanded for use in future spaceflight experiments with plants.
LIFE SCIENCES IN SPACE RESEARCH
(2022)
Review
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Colleen S. Deane, Willian A. da Silveira, Raul Herranz
Summary: This article reviews the contributions of the European research community to spaceflight biology through the European Space Agency (ESA). It emphasizes the importance of space omics research among ESA and its member states and highlights potential obstacles in funding scenarios.
Article
Plant Sciences
Alicia Villacampa, Iris Fananas-Pueyo, F. Javier Medina, Malgorzata Ciska
Summary: It has been found that protecting the roots from light exposure in a microgravity environment can guide their growth direction and establish the proper longitudinal axis. This finding is crucial for space farming and exploration.
PHYSIOLOGIA PLANTARUM
(2022)
Review
Biology
Francisco-Javier Medina, Aranzazu Manzano, Raul Herranz, John Z. Kiss
Summary: Understanding how plants respond and adapt to extraterrestrial conditions is crucial for space exploration, with studies showing that red light partially reverses gene reprogramming induced by microgravity and plants can acclimate to space environment stress by modulating genome expression in different gravity levels.
Editorial Material
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Khaled Y. Kamal, John M. Lawler
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Francesca Cialdai, Austin M. Brown, Cory W. Baumann, Debora Angeloni, Sarah Baatout, Alexandra Benchoua, Juergen Bereiter-Hahn, Daniele Bottai, Judith-Irina Buchheim, Marco Calvaruso, Eugenie Carnero-Diaz, Sara Castiglioni, Duccio Cavalieri, Gabriele Ceccarelli, Alexander Chouker, Gianni Ciofani, Giuseppe Coppola, Gabriella Cusella, Andrea Degl'Innocenti, Jean-Francois Desaphy, Jean-Pol Frippiat, Michael Gelinsky, Giada Genchi, Maria Grano, Daniela Grimm, Alain Guignandon, Christiane Hahn, Jason Hatton, Raul Herranz, Christine E. Hellweg, Carlo Saverio Iorio, Thodoris Karapantsios, Jack van Loon, Matteo Lulli, Jeanette Maier, Jos Malda, Emina Mamaca, Lucia Morbidelli, Angelique van Ombergen, Andreas Osterman, Aleksandr Ovsianikov, Francesco Pampaloni, Elizabeth Pavezlorie, Veronica Pereda-Campos, Cyrille Przybyla, Christopher Puhl, Petra Rettberg, Chiara Risaliti, Angela Maria Rizzo, Kate Robson-Brown, Leonardo Rossi, Giorgio Russo, Alessandra Salvetti, Daniela Santucci, Matthias Sperl, Felice Strollo, Kevin Tabury, Sara Tavella, Christiane Thielemann, Ronnie Willaert, Nathaniel J. Szewczyk, Monica Monici
Summary: This white paper presents the indications and recommendations of the SciSpacE Science Community on filling the gaps of knowledge regarding the effects of gravity alterations on animal and human systems at a cellular and tissue level. Despite previous studies, a comprehensive integrated model of the changes occurring at different system and functional levels is still lacking, making it difficult to predict the long-term consequences of human adaptation to the space environment and implement effective medical support plans.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Veronica De Micco, Giovanna Aronne, Nicol Caplin, Eugenie Carnero-Diaz, Raul Herranz, Nele Horemans, Valerie Legue, F. Javier Medina, Veronica Pereda-Loth, Mona Schiefloe, Sara De Francesco, Luigi Gennaro Izzo, Isabel Le Disquet, Ann-Iren Kittang Jost
Summary: Advancements in plant space biology are essential for human space exploration missions due to the unfeasibility of resource resupply from Earth. Recently, there has been increased interest in plant space biology as plants play a critical role in Bioregenerative Life Support Systems for resource regeneration and food production. This paper summarizes the main findings of gravity- and radiation-related research on higher plants, identifies knowledge gaps, and discusses the need for experimental facilities and global standard operating procedures to advance space experiments.
Article
History & Philosophy Of Science
F. Javier Medina
Summary: Space exploration requires plants to provide life support, but they must adapt to different gravity in alien environments, leading to changes in gene expression. Current research aims to identify signals replacing gravity for driving plant growth.
METODE SCIENCE STUDIES JOURNAL
(2021)