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De Micco V, Aronne G, Caplin N, Carnero-Diaz E, Herranz R, Horemans N, Legué V, Medina FJ, Pereda-Loth V, Schiefloe M, De Francesco S, Izzo LG, Le Disquet I, Kittang Jost AI. Perspectives for plant biology in space and analogue environments. NPJ Microgravity 2023; 9:67. [PMID: 37604914 PMCID: PMC10442387 DOI: 10.1038/s41526-023-00315-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Advancements in plant space biology are required for the realization of human space exploration missions, where the re-supply of resources from Earth is not feasible. Until a few decades ago, space life science was focused on the impact of the space environment on the human body. More recently, the interest in plant space biology has increased because plants are key organisms in Bioregenerative Life Support Systems (BLSS) for the regeneration of resources and fresh food production. Moreover, plants play an important role in psychological support for astronauts. The definition of cultivation requirements for the design, realization, and successful operation of BLSS must consider the effects of space factors on plants. Altered gravitational fields and radiation exposure are the main space factors inducing changes in gene expression, cell proliferation and differentiation, signalling and physiological processes with possible consequences on tissue organization and organogenesis, thus on the whole plant functioning. Interestingly, the changes at the cellular and molecular levels do not always result in organismic or developmental changes. This apparent paradox is a current research challenge. In this paper, the main findings of gravity- and radiation-related research on higher plants are summarized, highlighting the knowledge gaps that are still necessary to fill. Existing experimental facilities to simulate the effect of space factors, as well as requirements for future facilities for possible experiments to achieve fundamental biology goals are considered. Finally, the need for making synergies among disciplines and for establishing global standard operating procedures for analyses and data collection in space experiments is highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica De Micco
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, via Università 100, 80055, Portici (NA), Italy.
| | - Giovanna Aronne
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, via Università 100, 80055, Portici (NA), Italy
| | - Nicol Caplin
- SciSpacE Team, Directorate of Human and Robotic Exploration Programmes, European Space Agency (ESA), Noordwijk, Netherlands
| | - Eugénie Carnero-Diaz
- Institute of Systematic, Evolution, Biodiversity, Sorbonne University, National Museum of Natural History, CNRS, EPHE, UA, 45, rue Buffon CP50, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Raúl Herranz
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas - CSIC, Ramiro de Maeztu 9, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Nele Horemans
- Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK CEN), Biosphere Impact Studies (BIS), Boeretang 200, 2400, Mol, Belgium
| | - Valérie Legué
- Université Clermont Auvergne, INRAE, PIAF, F-63000, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - F Javier Medina
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas - CSIC, Ramiro de Maeztu 9, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Mona Schiefloe
- NTNU Social Research, Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Space (CIRiS) Dragvoll Allé 38 B, 7049, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Sara De Francesco
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, via Università 100, 80055, Portici (NA), Italy
| | - Luigi Gennaro Izzo
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, via Università 100, 80055, Portici (NA), Italy
| | - Isabel Le Disquet
- Institute of Systematic, Evolution, Biodiversity, Sorbonne University, National Museum of Natural History, CNRS, EPHE, UA, 45, rue Buffon CP50, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Ann- Iren Kittang Jost
- NTNU Social Research, Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Space (CIRiS) Dragvoll Allé 38 B, 7049, Trondheim, Norway
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Leandro LJ, Szewczyk NJ, Benguría A, Herranz R, Laván D, Medina FJ, Gasset G, Loon JV, Conley CA, Marco R. Comparative analysis of Drosophila melanogaster and Caenorhabditis elegans gene expression experiments in the European Soyuz flights to the International Space Station. ADVANCES IN SPACE RESEARCH : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE COMMITTEE ON SPACE RESEARCH (COSPAR) 2007; 40:506-512. [PMID: 18084631 PMCID: PMC2140006 DOI: 10.1016/j.asr.2007.05.070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
The European Soyuz missions have been one of the main routes for conducting scientific experiments onboard the International Space Station, which is currently in the construction phase. A relatively large number of life and physical sciences experiments as well as technology demonstrations have been carried out during these missions. Included among these experiments are the Gene experiment during the Spanish "Cervantes" Soyuz mission and the ICE-1st experiment during the Dutch "Delta" mission. In both experiments, full genome microarray analyses were carried out on RNA extracted from whole animals recovered from the flight. These experiments indicated relatively large scale changes in gene expression levels in response to spaceflight for two popular model systems, Drosophila melanogaster (Gene) and Caenorabditis elegans (ICE-1st). Here we report a comparative analysis of results from these two experiments. Finding orthologous genes between the fruit fly and the nematode was far from straightforward, reducing the number of genes that we could compare to roughly 20% of the full comparative genome. Within this sub-set of the data (2286 genes), only six genes were found to display identical changes between species (decreased) while 1809 genes displayed no change in either species. Future experiments using ground simulation techniques will allow producing a better, more comprehensive picture of the putative set of genes affected in multicellular organisms by changes in gravity and getting a deeper understanding of how animals respond and adapt to spaceflight.
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Affiliation(s)
- L J Leandro
- Departamento de Bioquímica-I.I. Biomédicas "Alberto Sols" (UAM-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
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