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Romano D, Di Giovanni A, Pucciariello C, Stefanini C. Turning earthworms into moonworms: Earthworms colonization of lunar regolith as a bioengineering approach supporting future crop growth in space. Heliyon 2023; 9:e14683. [PMID: 37020940 PMCID: PMC10068126 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e14683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The earthworms beneficial effects on soils may be promising to improve lunar soil fertility, enabling the use of local substrates for space farming. Herein, we investigated the effects of the lunar regolith simulant (LHS-1) at different concentrations in cow manure mixtures on the survival and fitness of Eisenia fetida. During 14 and 60-day experiments, although E. fetida showed an increased mortality with LHS-1 alone, most of the population survived. More numerous tunnels were observed when exposed to the higher concentrations of LHS-1 (poor in nutrients for earthworms). This may be related to an increased mobility for food search. The cocoons production was not affected by different substrate treatments, except for the highest concentration of LHS-1. No effects of different LHS-1 concentrations on the amount of ingested substrate were recorded. This study shows that E. fetida can potentially colonize lunar regolith representing a future valuable biological tool for supporting crops growth on the Moon.
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Wang L, Xie J, Mou C, Jiao Y, Dou Y, Zheng H. Transcriptomic Analysis of the Interaction Between FLOWERING LOCUS T Induction and Photoperiodic Signaling in Response to Spaceflight. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 9:813246. [PMID: 35178402 PMCID: PMC8844200 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.813246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Spaceflight has an impact on the growth and development of higher plants at both the vegetative stage and reproductive stage. A great deal of information has been available on the vegetative stage in space, but relatively little is known about the influence of spaceflight on plants at the reproductive stage. In this study, we constructed transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana plants expressing the flowering control gene, FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT), together with the green fluorescent protein gene (GFP) under control of a heat shock-inducible promoter (HSP17.4), by which we induced FT expression inflight through remote controlling heat shock (HS) treatment. Inflight photography data showed that induction of FT expression in transgenic plants in space under non-inductive short-day conditions could promote flowering and reduce the length of the inflorescence stem in comparison with that of wild-type plants under the same conditions. Whole-genome microarray analysis of gene expression changes in leaves of wild-type and these transgenic plants grown under the long-day and short-day photoperiod conditions in space indicated that the function of the photoperiod-related spaceflight responsive genes is mainly involved in protein synthesis and post-translation protein modulation, notably protein phosphorylation. In addition, changes of the circadian component of gene expression in response to spaceflight under different photoperiods indicated that roles of the circadian oscillator could act as integrators of spaceflight response and photoperiodic signals in Arabidopsis plants grown in space.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lihua Wang
- Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Junyan Xie
- Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Chenghong Mou
- Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yuwei Jiao
- Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yanhui Dou
- Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Huiqiong Zheng
- Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
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Karahara I, Suto T, Yamaguchi T, Yashiro U, Tamaoki D, Okamoto E, Yano S, Tanigaki F, Shimazu T, Kasahara H, Kasahara H, Yamada M, Hoson T, Soga K, Kamisaka S. Vegetative and reproductive growth of Arabidopsis under microgravity conditions in space. JOURNAL OF PLANT RESEARCH 2020; 133:571-585. [PMID: 32424466 DOI: 10.1007/s10265-020-01200-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2019] [Accepted: 04/24/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
We have performed a seed-to-seed experiment in the cell biology experiment facility (CBEF) installed in the Kibo (Japanese Experiment Module) in the International Space Station. The CBEF has a 1 × g compartment on a centrifuge and a microgravity compartment, to investigate the effects of microgravity on the vegetative and reproductive growth of Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. Seeds germinated irrespective of gravitational conditions after water supply on board. Thereafter, seedlings developed rosette leaves. The time of bolting was slightly earlier under microgravity than under space 1 × g. Microgravity enhanced the growth rate of peduncles as compared with space 1 × g or ground control. Plants developed flowers, siliques and seeds, completing their entire life cycle during 62-days cultivation. Although the flowering time was not significantly affected under microgravity, the number of flowers in a bolted plant significantly increased under microgravity as compared with space 1 × g or ground control. Microscopic analysis of reproductive organs revealed that the longitudinal length of anthers was significantly shorter under microgravity when compared with space 1 × g, while the length of pistils and filaments was not influenced by the gravitational conditions. Seed mass significantly increased under microgravity when compared with space 1 × g. In addition, seeds produced in space were found not to germinate on the ground. These results indicate that microgravity significantly influenced the reproductive development of Arabidopsis plants even though Earth's gravitational environment is not absolutely necessary for them to complete their life cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ichirou Karahara
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Toyama, Gofuku, Toyama, 930-8555, Japan.
| | - Takamichi Suto
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Toyama, Gofuku, Toyama, 930-8555, Japan
| | - Takashi Yamaguchi
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Toyama, Gofuku, Toyama, 930-8555, Japan
| | - Umi Yashiro
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Toyama, Gofuku, Toyama, 930-8555, Japan
| | - Daisuke Tamaoki
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Toyama, Gofuku, Toyama, 930-8555, Japan
| | - Emi Okamoto
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Toyama, Gofuku, Toyama, 930-8555, Japan
| | - Sachiko Yano
- Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | | | - Haruo Kasahara
- Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Tokyo, Japan
- Japan Manned Space System Ltd, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Mitsuhiro Yamada
- School of Biological Sciences, Tokai University, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Takayuki Hoson
- Department of Biology, Graduate School of Science, Osaka City University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Kouichi Soga
- Department of Biology, Graduate School of Science, Osaka City University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Seiichiro Kamisaka
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Toyama, Gofuku, Toyama, 930-8555, Japan
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Hwang JE, Hwang SG, Kim SH, Lee KJ, Jang CS, Kim JB, Kim SH, Ha BK, Ahn JW, Kang SY, Kim DS. Transcriptome profiling in response to different types of ionizing radiation and identification of multiple radio marker genes in rice. PHYSIOLOGIA PLANTARUM 2014; 150:604-19. [PMID: 24164326 DOI: 10.1111/ppl.12121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2013] [Revised: 10/01/2013] [Accepted: 10/22/2013] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Ionizing radiation (IR) affects gene expression from plant genomes. To monitor the genome-wide transcriptional changes induced by three types of IR, we used the rice Affymetrix GeneChip microarray to identify genes that are up- or down-regulated by gamma rays (GAs), cosmic rays (CRs) and ion beams (IBs). The overall expression patterns in rice seedlings generated from seeds exposed to GAs and IBs were similar but differed for CRs exposure. Expression profiles of genes involved in metabolic pathways and cellular response were identified using MapMan analysis. This result revealed that IRs induced gene expression related to sucrose-starch metabolisms; sugar and starch accumulation was significantly increased in response to three types of IR in rice. In addition, we compared the genes commonly up- or down-regulated by exposure to three types of IR and identified 53 candidate radio marker genes (RMGs) that were differentially regulated by radiation exposure but not by other stresses. Among these genes, we selected six RMGs commonly applicable to different types of IR by specific coexpression networks using the algorithm for the reconstruction of accurate cellular networks (aracne) and confirmed the expression of these genes by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis. Our results provided insight into the mechanisms of the responses to different types of IR and identified multiple marker genes to predict sensitivity to three types of IR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jung Eun Hwang
- Advanced Radiation Technology Institute, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, 1266 Sinjeong, Jeongeup, Jeonbuk 580-185, Republic of Korea
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De Micco V, De Pascale S, Paradiso R, Aronne G. Microgravity effects on different stages of higher plant life cycle and completion of the seed-to-seed cycle. PLANT BIOLOGY (STUTTGART, GERMANY) 2014; 16 Suppl 1:31-8. [PMID: 24015754 DOI: 10.1111/plb.12098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2013] [Accepted: 07/18/2013] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Human inhabitation of Space requires the efficient realisation of crop cultivation in bioregenerative life-support systems (BLSS). It is well known that plants can grow under Space conditions; however, perturbations of many biological phenomena have been highlighted due to the effect of altered gravity and its possible interactions with other factors. The mechanisms priming plant responses to Space factors, as well as the consequences of such alterations on crop productivity, have not been completely elucidated. These perturbations can occur at different stages of plant life and are potentially responsible for failure of the completion of the seed-to-seed cycle. After brief consideration of the main constraints found in the most recent experiments aiming to produce seeds in Space, we focus on two developmental phases in which the plant life cycle can be interrupted more easily than in others also on Earth. The first regards seedling development and establishment; we discuss reasons for slow development at the seedling stage that often occurs under microgravity conditions and can reduce successful establishment. The second stage comprises gametogenesis and pollination; we focus on male gamete formation, also identifying potential constraints to subsequent fertilisation. We finally highlight how similar alterations at cytological level can not only be common to different processes occurring at different life stages, but can be primed by different stress factors; such alterations can be interpreted within the model of 'stress-induced morphogenic response' (SIMR). We conclude by suggesting that a systematic analysis of all growth and reproductive phases during the plant life cycle is needed to optimise resource use in plant-based BLSS.
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Affiliation(s)
- V De Micco
- Department of Agriculture, University of Naples Federico II, Portici, Naples, Italy
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Tamaoki D, Karahara I, Nishiuchi T, Wakasugi T, Yamada K, Kamisaka S. Effects of hypergravity stimulus on global gene expression during reproductive growth in Arabidopsis. PLANT BIOLOGY (STUTTGART, GERMANY) 2014; 16 Suppl 1:179-186. [PMID: 24373015 DOI: 10.1111/plb.12124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2013] [Accepted: 09/27/2013] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
The life cycle of higher plants consists of successive vegetative and reproductive growth phases. Understanding effects of altered gravity conditions on the reproductive growth is essential, not only to elucidate how higher plants evolved under gravitational condition on Earth but also to approach toward realization of agriculture in space. In the present study, a comprehensive analysis of global gene expression of floral buds under hypergravity was carried out to understand effects of altered gravity on reproductive growth at molecular level. Arabidopsis plants grown for 20-26 days were exposed to hypergravity of 300 g for 24 h. Total RNA was extracted from flower buds and microarray (44 K) analysis performed. As a result, hypergravity up-regulated expression of a gene related to β-1,3-glucanase involved in pectin modification, and down-regulated β-galactosidase and amino acid transport, which supports a previous study reporting inhibition of pollen development and germination under hypergravity. With regard to genes related to seed storage accumulation, hypergravity up-regulated expression of genes of aspartate aminotransferase, and down-regulated those related to cell wall invertase and sugar transporter, supporting a previous study reporting promotion of protein body development and inhibition of starch accumulation under hypergravity, respectively. In addition, hypergravity up-regulated expression of G6PDH and GPGDH, which supports a previous study reporting promotion of lipid deposition under hypergravity. In addition, analysis of the metabolic pathway revealed that hypergravity substantially changed expression of genes involved in the biosynthesis of phytohormones such as abscisic acid and auxin.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Tamaoki
- Department of Biology, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
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Chebli Y, Pujol L, Shojaeifard A, Brouwer I, van Loon JJWA, Geitmann A. Cell wall assembly and intracellular trafficking in plant cells are directly affected by changes in the magnitude of gravitational acceleration. PLoS One 2013; 8:e58246. [PMID: 23516452 PMCID: PMC3596410 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0058246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2012] [Accepted: 02/05/2013] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Plants are able to sense the magnitude and direction of gravity. This capacity is thought to reside in selected cell types within the plant body that are equipped with specialized organelles called statoliths. However, most plant cells do not possess statoliths, yet they respond to changes in gravitational acceleration. To understand the effect of gravity on the metabolism and cellular functioning of non-specialized plant cells, we investigated a rapidly growing plant cell devoid of known statoliths and without gravitropic behavior, the pollen tube. The effects of hyper-gravity and omnidirectional exposure to gravity on intracellular trafficking and on cell wall assembly were assessed in Camellia pollen tubes, a model system with highly reproducible growth behavior in vitro. Using an epi-fluorescence microscope mounted on the Large Diameter Centrifuge at the European Space Agency, we were able to demonstrate that vesicular trafficking is reduced under hyper-gravity conditions. Immuno-cytochemistry confirmed that both in hyper and omnidirectional gravity conditions, the characteristic spatial profiles of cellulose and callose distribution in the pollen tube wall were altered, in accordance with a dose-dependent effect on pollen tube diameter. Our findings suggest that in response to gravity induced stress, the pollen tube responds by modifying cell wall assembly to compensate for the altered mechanical load. The effect was reversible within few minutes demonstrating that the pollen tube is able to quickly adapt to changing stress conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youssef Chebli
- Institut de recherche en biologie végétale, Département de sciences biologiques, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Lauranne Pujol
- Institut de recherche en biologie végétale, Département de sciences biologiques, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Anahid Shojaeifard
- Institut de recherche en biologie végétale, Département de sciences biologiques, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | | | - Jack J. W. A. van Loon
- Department of Craniofacial Surgery & Oral Cell Biology, Academisch Centrum Tandheelkunde Amsterdam (ACTA), University of Amsterdam and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Research Institute MOVE, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Life and Physical Sciences Instrumentation and Life Support Section (TEC-MMG), European Space Agency (ESA), Noordwijk, The Netherlands
| | - Anja Geitmann
- Institut de recherche en biologie végétale, Département de sciences biologiques, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- * E-mail:
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Paul AL, Wheeler RM, Levine HG, Ferl RJ. Fundamental plant biology enabled by the space shuttle. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2013; 100:226-34. [PMID: 23281389 DOI: 10.3732/ajb.1200338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
The relationship between fundamental plant biology and space biology was especially synergistic in the era of the Space Shuttle. While all terrestrial organisms are influenced by gravity, the impact of gravity as a tropic stimulus in plants has been a topic of formal study for more than a century. And while plants were parts of early space biology payloads, it was not until the advent of the Space Shuttle that the science of plant space biology enjoyed expansion that truly enabled controlled, fundamental experiments that removed gravity from the equation. The Space Shuttle presented a science platform that provided regular science flights with dedicated plant growth hardware and crew trained in inflight plant manipulations. Part of the impetus for plant biology experiments in space was the realization that plants could be important parts of bioregenerative life support on long missions, recycling water, air, and nutrients for the human crew. However, a large part of the impetus was that the Space Shuttle enabled fundamental plant science essentially in a microgravity environment. Experiments during the Space Shuttle era produced key science insights on biological adaptation to spaceflight and especially plant growth and tropisms. In this review, we present an overview of plant science in the Space Shuttle era with an emphasis on experiments dealing with fundamental plant growth in microgravity. This review discusses general conclusions from the study of plant spaceflight biology enabled by the Space Shuttle by providing historical context and reviews of select experiments that exemplify plant space biology science.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna-Lisa Paul
- Horticultural Science Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610, USA
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Genome-wide transcriptome profiling of ROS scavenging and signal transduction pathways in rice (Oryza sativa L.) in response to different types of ionizing radiation. Mol Biol Rep 2012; 39:11231-48. [DOI: 10.1007/s11033-012-2034-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2012] [Accepted: 10/02/2012] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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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: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [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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Chebli Y, Geitmann A. Gravity research on plants: use of single-cell experimental models. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2011; 2:56. [PMID: 22639598 PMCID: PMC3355640 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2011.00056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2011] [Accepted: 09/05/2011] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Future space missions and implementation of permanent bases on Moon and Mars will greatly depend on the availability of ambient air and sustainable food supply. Therefore, understanding the effects of altered gravity conditions on plant metabolism and growth is vital for space missions and extra-terrestrial human existence. In this mini-review we summarize how plant cells are thought to perceive changes in magnitude and orientation of the gravity vector. The particular advantages of several single-celled model systems for gravity research are explored and an overview over recent advancements and potential use of these systems is provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youssef Chebli
- Département de Sciences Biologiques, Institut de Recherche en Biologie Végétale, Université de MontréalMontréal, QC, Canada
| | - Anja Geitmann
- Département de Sciences Biologiques, Institut de Recherche en Biologie Végétale, Université de MontréalMontréal, QC, Canada
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Ou X, Long L, Wu Y, Yu Y, Lin X, Qi X, Liu B. Spaceflight-induced genetic and epigenetic changes in the rice (Oryza sativa L.) genome are independent of each other. Genome 2010; 53:524-32. [PMID: 20616874 DOI: 10.1139/g10-030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
An array of studies have reported that the spaceflight environment is mutagenic and may induce phenotypic and genetic changes in diverse organisms. We reported recently that in at least some plant species (e.g., rice) the spaceflight environment can be particularly potent in generating heritable epigenetic changes in the form of altered cytosine methylation patterns and activation of transposable elements. To further study the issue of spaceflight-induced genomic instability, and in particular to test whether the incurred genetic and epigenetic changes are connected or independent of each other, we performed the present study. We subjected seeds of the standard laboratory rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivar Nipponbare to a spaceflight in the spaceship Long March 2 for 18 days. We then investigated the genetic and DNA methylation stabilities of 11 randomly selected plants germinated from the spaceflown seeds by using two kinds of DNA markers, amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) and methylation sensitive amplified polymorphism (MSAP). For AFLP, by using 15 primer combinations, we assessed 460 genomic loci and found that the frequencies of genetic changes across the 11 plants ranged from 0.7% to 6.7% with an average frequency of 3.5%. For MSAP, by using 14 primer combinations, we assessed 467 loci and detected the occurrence of four major types of cytosine methylation alterations at the CCGG sites, namely CG or CNG hypomethylation and CG or CNG hypermethylation. Collectively, the frequencies of the two kinds of hypermethylation, CG (1.95%) and CNG (1.44%), are about two times higher than those of the two kinds of hypomethylation, CG (0.76%) and CNG (0.80%), though different plants showed variable frequencies for each type of alteration. Further analysis suggested that both the genetic and cytosine methylation changes manifested apparent mutational bias towards specific genomic regions, but the two kinds of instabilities are independent of each other based on correlation analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiufang Ou
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of MOE and Institute of Genetics and Cytology, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
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Abstract
Recent plans for human return to the Moon have significantly elevated scientific interest in the lunar environment with emphasis on the science to be done in preparation for the return and while on the lunar surface. Since the return to the Moon is envisioned as a dedicated and potentially longer-term commitment to lunar exploration, questions of the lunar environment and particularly its impact on biology and biological systems have become a significant part of the lunar science discussion. Plants are integral to the discussion of biology on the Moon. Plants are envisioned as important components of advanced habitats and fundamental components of advanced life-support systems. Moreover, plants are sophisticated multicellular eukaryotic life-forms with highly orchestrated developmental processes, well-characterized signal transduction pathways, and exceedingly fine-tuned responses to their environments. Therefore, plants represent key test organisms for understanding the biological impact of the lunar environment on terrestrial life-forms. Indeed, plants were among the initial and primary organisms that were exposed to returned lunar regolith from the Apollo lunar missions. This review discusses the original experiments involving plants in association with the Apollo samples, with the intent of understanding those studies within the context of the first lunar exploration program and drawing from those experiments the data to inform the studies critical within the next lunar exploration science agenda.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J Ferl
- University of Florida, Interdisciplinary Center for Biotechnology Research and the Horticultural Sciences Department, PO Box 110690, Gainesville, FL 3201-0690, USA.
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Long L, Ou X, Liu J, Lin X, Sheng L, Liu B. The spaceflight environment can induce transpositional activation of multiple endogenous transposable elements in a genotype-dependent manner in rice. JOURNAL OF PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2009; 166:2035-45. [PMID: 19628300 DOI: 10.1016/j.jplph.2009.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2009] [Revised: 06/21/2009] [Accepted: 06/21/2009] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Spaceflight represents a unique environmental condition whereby dysregulated gene expression and genomic instability can be provoked. However, detailed molecular characterization of the nature of genetic changes induced by spaceflight is yet to be documented in a higher eukaryote. Transposable elements (TEs) are ubiquitous and have played a significant role in genome evolution. Mounting evidence indicates that TEs constitute the genomic fraction that is susceptible and responsive to environmental perturbations, and hence, most likely manifesting genetic instabilities in times of stress. A predominant means for TEs to cause genetic instability is via their transpositional activation. Here we show that spaceflight has induced transposition of several endogenous TEs in rice, which belong to distinct classes including the miniature inverted terminal repeat TEs (MITEs) and long-terminal repeat (LTR) retrotransposons. Of three rice lines studied, transposition of TEs were detected in the plants germinated from space-flown dry seeds of two lines (RZ1 and RZ35), which are genetically homogeneous and stabilized recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from a pure-line rice cultivar, Matsumae. In contrast, the TEs remained immobile in plants derived from space-flown seeds of Matsumae itself, indicating a genotype-dependent manner of TE transposition under the spaceflight environment. Further examination showed that at least in some cases transposition of TEs was associated with cytosine demethylation within the elements. Moreover, the spaceflight-induced TE activity was heritable to organismal progenies. Thus, our results implicate that the spaceflight environment represents a potent mutagenic environment that can cause genetic instabilities by eliciting transposition of otherwise totally quiescent endogenous TEs in a higher eukaryote.
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Affiliation(s)
- Likun Long
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetics of MOE and Institute of Genetics & Cytology, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, PR China
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15
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Popova AF, Musgrave M, Kuang A. The development of embryos in Brassica rapa L. in microgravity. CYTOL GENET+ 2009. [DOI: 10.3103/s0095452709020030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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16
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Ou X, Long L, Zhang Y, Xue Y, Liu J, Lin X, Liu B. Spaceflight induces both transient and heritable alterations in DNA methylation and gene expression in rice (Oryza sativa L.). Mutat Res 2008; 662:44-53. [PMID: 19135069 DOI: 10.1016/j.mrfmmm.2008.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2008] [Revised: 12/03/2008] [Accepted: 12/05/2008] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Spaceflight represents a complex environmental condition in which several interacting factors such as cosmic radiation, microgravity and space magnetic fields are involved, which may provoke stress responses and jeopardize genome integrity. Given the inherent property of epigenetic modifications to respond to intrinsic as well as external perturbations, it is conceivable that epigenetic markers like DNA methylation may undergo alterations in response to spaceflight. We report here that extensive alteration in both DNA methylation and gene expression occurred in rice plants subjected to a spaceflight, as revealed by a set of characterized sequences including 6 transposable elements (TEs) and 11 cellular genes. We found that several features characterize the alterations: (1) All detected alterations are hypermethylation events; (2) whereas alteration in both CG and CNG methylation occurred in the TEs, only alteration in CNG methylation occurred in the cellular genes; (3) alteration in expression includes both up- and down-regulations, which did not show a general correlation with alteration in methylation; (4) altered methylation patterns in both TEs and cellular genes are heritable to progenies at variable frequencies; however, stochastic reversion to wild-type patterns and further de novo changes in progenies are also apparent; and (5) the altered expression states in both TEs and cellular genes are also heritable to selfed progenies but with markedly lower transmission frequencies than altered DNA methylation states. Furthermore, we found that a set of genes encoding for the various putative DNA methyltransferases, 5-methylcytosine DNA glycosylases, the SWI/SNF chromatin remodeller (DDM1) and siRNA-related proteins are extremely sensitive to perturbation by spaceflight, which might be an underlying cause for the altered methylation patterns in the space-flown plants. We discuss implications of spaceflight-induced epigenetic variations with regard to health safety issues of spaceship crews and potentiality of spaceflight as a means for mutagenesis in crop breeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiufang Ou
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Epigenetic of MOE and Institute of Genetics & Cytology, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
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WEI LJ, XU JL, WANG JM, YANG Q, LUO RT, ZHANG MX, BAO GL, SUN YQ. A Comparative Study on Mutagenic Effects of Space Flight and Irradiation of γ-rays on Rice. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2006. [DOI: 10.1016/s1671-2927(06)60129-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Kuang A, Popova A, McClure G, Musgrave ME. Dynamics of storage reserve deposition during Brassica rapa L. pollen and seed development in microgravity. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PLANT SCIENCES 2005; 166:85-96. [PMID: 15747444 DOI: 10.1086/425664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Pollen and seeds share a developmental sequence characterized by intense metabolic activity during reserve deposition before drying to a cryptobiotic form. Neither pollen nor seed development has been well studied in the absence of gravity, despite the importance of these structures in supporting future long-duration manned habitation away from Earth. Using immature seeds (3-15 d postpollination) of Brassica rapa L. cv. Astroplants produced on the STS-87 flight of the space shuttle Columbia, we compared the progress of storage reserve deposition in cotyledon cells during early stages of seed development. Brassica pollen development was studied in flowers produced on plants grown entirely in microgravity on the Mir space station and fixed while on orbit. Cytochemical localization of storage reserves showed differences in starch accumulation between spaceflight and ground control plants in interior layers of the developing seed coat as early as 9 d after pollination. At this age, the embryo is in the cotyledon elongation stage, and there are numerous starch grains in the cotyledon cells in both flight and ground control seeds. In the spaceflight seeds, starch was retained after this stage, while starch grains decreased in size in the ground control seeds. Large and well-developed protein bodies were observed in cotyledon cells of ground control seeds at 15 d postpollination, but their development was delayed in the seeds produced during spaceflight. Like the developing cotyledonary tissues, cells of the anther wall and filaments from the spaceflight plants contained numerous large starch grains, while these were rarely seen in the ground controls. The tapetum remained swollen and persisted to a later developmental stage in the spaceflight plants than in the ground controls, even though most pollen grains appeared normal. These developmental markers indicate that Brassica seeds and pollen produced in microgravity were physiologically younger than those produced in 1 g. We hypothesize that microgravity limits mixing of the gaseous microenvironments inside the closed tissues and that the resulting gas composition surrounding the seeds and pollen retards their development.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Kuang
- Department of Biology, University of Texas-Pan American, Edinburg, Texas 78539, USA
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Musgrave ME, Kuang A. Plant Reproductive Development during Spaceflight. DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY RESEARCH IN SPACE 2003; 9:1-23. [PMID: 14631627 DOI: 10.1016/s1569-2574(03)09001-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Reproductive development in microgravity has now been studied in a variety of plants; Arabidopsis, Brassica, and Triticum have been especially well studied. Earlier indications that gravity might be required for some stage of reproductive development have now been refuted. Nevertheless, the spaceflight environment presents many unique challenges that have often compromised the ability of plants to reproduce. These include limitations in hardware design to compensate for the unique environmental characteristics of microgravity, especially absence of convective air movement. Pollen development has been shown to be sensitive to high concentrations of ethylene prevailing on various orbital platforms. Barring these gross environmental problems, androecium and gynoecium development occur normally in microgravity, in that functional propagules are produced. Nonetheless, qualitative changes in anther and pistil development have been shown, and significant qualitative changes occur in storage reserve deposition during seed development. Apart from the intrinsic biological importance of these results, consequences of diminished seed quality when plants are grown in the absence of gravity will detract from the utility of plant-based life support systems. By understanding gravity's role in determining the microenvironments that prevail during reproductive development, counter-measures to these obstacles can be found, while at the same time providing basic knowledge that will have broader agricultural significance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary E Musgrave
- Department of Plant Science, University of Connecticut, 1376 Storrs Road, Unit 4067, Storrs, CT 06269, USA.
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Kuang A, Popova A, Xiao Y, Musgrave ME. Pollination and embryo development in Brassica rapa L. in microgravity. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PLANT SCIENCES 2000; 161:203-211. [PMID: 10777443 DOI: 10.1086/314254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/1999] [Revised: 12/01/1999] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Plant reproduction under spaceflight conditions has been problematic in the past. In order to determine what aspect of reproductive development is affected by microgravity, we studied pollination and embryo development in Brassica rapa L. during 16 d in microgravity on the space shuttle (STS-87). Brassica is self-incompatible and requires mechanical transfer of pollen. Short-duration access to microgravity during parabolic flights on the KC-135A aircraft was used initially to confirm that equal numbers of pollen grains could be collected and transferred in the absence of gravity. Brassica was grown in the Plant Growth Facility flight hardware as follows. Three chambers each contained six plants that were 13 d old at launch. As these plants flowered, thin colored tape was used to indicate the date of hand pollination, resulting in silique populations aged 8-15 d postpollination at the end of the 16-d mission. The remaining three chambers contained dry seeds that germinated on orbit to produce 14-d-old plants just beginning to flower at the time of landing. Pollen produced by these plants had comparable viability (93%) with that produced in the 2-d-delayed ground control. Matched-age siliques yielded embryos of equivalent developmental stage in the spaceflight and ground control treatments. Carbohydrate and protein storage reserves in the embryos, assessed by cytochemical localization, were also comparable. In the spaceflight material, growth and development by embryos rescued from siliques 15 d after pollination lagged behind the ground controls by 12 d; however, in the subsequent generation, no differences between the two treatments were found. The results demonstrate that while no stage of reproductive development in Brassica is absolutely dependent upon gravity, lower embryo quality may result following development in microgravity.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Kuang
- Department of Plant Pathology and Crop Physiology, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge 70803, USA
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Cook ME, Croxdale JL, Tibbitts TW, Goins G, Brown CS, Wheeler RM. Development and growth of potato tubers in microgravity. ADVANCES IN SPACE RESEARCH : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE COMMITTEE ON SPACE RESEARCH (COSPAR) 1998; 21:1103-1110. [PMID: 11541357 DOI: 10.1016/s0273-1177(97)00197-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
A potato explant consisting of a leaf, its axillary bud, and a small segment of stem will develop a tuber in 10-14 days when grown on earth. The tubers develop from the axillary buds and accumulate starch derived from sugars produced through photosynthesis and/or mobilized from leaf tissue. Potato explants were harvested and maintained in the Astroculture (TM) unit, a plant growth chamber designed for spaceflight. The unit provides an environment with controlled temperature, humidity, CO2 level, light intensity, and a nutrient delivery system. The hardware was loaded onto the space shuttle Columbia 24 hours prior to the launch of the STS-73 mission. Explant leaf tissue appeared turgid and green for the first 11 days of flight, but then became chlorotic and eventually necrotic by the end of the mission. The same events occurred to ground control explants with approximately the same timing. At the end of the 16-day mission, tubers were present on each explant. The size and shape of the space-grown tubers were similar to the ground-control tubers. The arrangement of cells in the tuber interior and at the exterior in the periderm was similar in both environments. Starch and protein were present in the tubers grown in space and on the ground. The range in starch grain size was similar in tubers from both environments, but the distribution of grains into size classes differed somewhat, with the space-grown tubers having more small grains than the ground control tubers. Proteinaceous crystals were found in tubers formed in each condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- M E Cook
- Botany Department, University of Wisconsin, Madison 53706, USA
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Kordyum EL. Plant reproduction systems in microgravity: experimental data and hypotheses. ADVANCES IN SPACE RESEARCH : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE COMMITTEE ON SPACE RESEARCH (COSPAR) 1998; 21:1111-1120. [PMID: 11541358 DOI: 10.1016/s0273-1177(97)00198-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Elucidation of the possibilities for higher plants to realize complete ontogenesis, from seed to seed, and to propagate by seeds in microgravity, is a fundamental task of space biology connected with the working of the CELSS program. At present, there are results of only 6 spaceflight experiments with Arabidopsis thaliana, an ephemeral plant which will flower and fruit in orbit. Morphogenesis of generative organs occurs normally in microgravity, but unlike the ground control, buds and flowers mainly contain sterile elements of the androecium and gynoecium which degenerate at different stages of development in microgravity. Cytological peculiarities of male and female sterility in microgravity are similar to those occurring naturally during sexual differentiation. Many of the seed formed in microgravity do not contain embryos. Hypotheses to explain abnormal reproductive development in microgravity are: 1) nutritional deficiency, 2) insufficient light, 3) intensification of the influence of the above-mentioned factors by microgravity, 4) disturbances of a hormonal nature, and 5) the absence of pollination and fertilization. Possible ways for testing these hypotheses and obtaining viable seeds in microgravity are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- E L Kordyum
- Institute of Botany, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv
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Kuang A, Crispi M, Musgrave ME. Control of seed development in Arabidopsis thaliana by atmospheric oxygen. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 1998; 21:71-78. [PMID: 11542767 DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-3040.1998.00244.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Seed development is known to be inhibited completely when plants are grown in oxygen concentrations below 5.1 kPa, but apart from reports of decreased seed weight little is known about embryogenesis at subambient oxygen concentrations above this critical level. Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. plants were grown full term under continuous light in premixed atmospheres with oxygen partial pressures of 2.5, 5.1, 10.1, 16.2 and 21.3 kPa O2, 0.035 kPa CO2 and the balance nitrogen. Seeds were harvested for germination tests and microscopy when siliques had yellowed. Seed germination was depressed in O2 treatments below 16.2 kPa, and seeds from plants grown in 2.5 kPa O2 did not germinate at all. Fewer than 25% of the seeds from plants grown in 5.1 kPa oxygen germinated and most of the seedlings appeared abnormal. Light and scanning electron microscopic observation of non-germinated seeds showed that these embryos had stopped growing at different developmental stages depending upon the prevailing oxygen level. Embryos stopped growing at the heart-shaped to linear cotyledon stage in 5.1 kPa O2, at around the curled cotyledon stage in 10.1 kPa O2, and at the premature stage in 16.2 kPa O2. Globular and heart-shaped embryos were observed in sectioned seeds from plants grown in 2.5 kPa O2. Tissue degeneration caused by cell autolysis and changes in cell structure were observed in cotyledons and radicles. Transmission electron microscopy of mature seeds showed that storage substances, such as protein bodies, were reduced in subambient oxygen treatments. The results demonstrate control of embryo development by oxygen in Arabidopsis.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Kuang
- Department of Plant Pathology & Crop Physiology, Station, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge 70803, USA
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Kordyum EL. Biology of plant cells in microgravity and under clinostating. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF CYTOLOGY 1997; 171:1-78. [PMID: 9066125 DOI: 10.1016/s0074-7696(08)62585-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Experimental data on plant cell reproduction, growth, and differentiation in spaceflight and under clinostating that partially reproduce the biological effects of microgravity are elucidated. The rearrangements of organelle structural and functional organization in unicellular plant organisms as well as in meristematic, differentiating, and differentiated cells of multicellular organisms in these conditions are considered. The focus is on the changes in the interrelations of prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms under altered gravity. Ideas on the acceleration of differentiation and aging of cells in microgravity and clinostating and the organism's adaptive possibilities for carrying out its own functions are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- E L Kordyum
- Institute of Botany, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kiev, Ukraine
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