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Kim BS, Alcantara AV, Moon JH, Higashitani A, Higashitani N, Etheridge T, Szewczyk NJ, Deane CS, Gaffney CJ, Higashibata A, Hashizume T, Yoon KH, Lee JI. Comparative Analysis of Muscle Atrophy During Spaceflight, Nutritional Deficiency and Disuse in the Nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:12640. [PMID: 37628820 PMCID: PMC10454569 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241612640] [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: 07/20/2023] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
While spaceflight is becoming more common than before, the hazards spaceflight and space microgravity pose to the human body remain relatively unexplored. Astronauts experience muscle atrophy after spaceflight, but the exact reasons for this and solutions are unknown. Here, we take advantage of the nematode C. elegans to understand the effects of space microgravity on worm body wall muscle. We found that space microgravity induces muscle atrophy in C. elegans from two independent spaceflight missions. As a comparison to spaceflight-induced muscle atrophy, we assessed the effects of acute nutritional deprivation and muscle disuse on C. elegans muscle cells. We found that these two factors also induce muscle atrophy in the nematode. Finally, we identified clp-4, which encodes a calpain protease that promotes muscle atrophy. Mutants of clp-4 suppress starvation-induced muscle atrophy. Such comparative analyses of different factors causing muscle atrophy in C. elegans could provide a way to identify novel genetic factors regulating space microgravity-induced muscle atrophy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ban-seok Kim
- Division of Biological Science and Technology, College of Science and Technology, Yonsei University, Wonju 26493, Republic of Korea; (B.-s.K.); (A.V.A.J.); (J.-H.M.)
| | - Alfredo V. Alcantara
- Division of Biological Science and Technology, College of Science and Technology, Yonsei University, Wonju 26493, Republic of Korea; (B.-s.K.); (A.V.A.J.); (J.-H.M.)
| | - Je-Hyun Moon
- Division of Biological Science and Technology, College of Science and Technology, Yonsei University, Wonju 26493, Republic of Korea; (B.-s.K.); (A.V.A.J.); (J.-H.M.)
| | - Atsushi Higashitani
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8577, Japan (N.H.)
| | - Nahoko Higashitani
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8577, Japan (N.H.)
| | - Timothy Etheridge
- Department of Sport and Health Sciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter EX1 2LU, UK; (T.E.); (C.S.D.)
| | - Nathaniel J. Szewczyk
- Ohio Musculoskeletal and Neurological Institute, Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701, USA;
| | - Colleen S. Deane
- Department of Sport and Health Sciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter EX1 2LU, UK; (T.E.); (C.S.D.)
- Human Development & Health Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK
| | - Christopher J. Gaffney
- Lancaster Medical School, Health Innovation One, Sir John Fisher Drive, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4AT, UK;
| | - Akira Higashibata
- Human Spaceflight Technology Directorate, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Tsukuba 305-0047, Japan
| | - Toko Hashizume
- Advanced Engineering Services Co., Ltd., Tsukuba 305-0032, Japan
| | - Kyoung-hye Yoon
- Department of Physiology, Mitohormesis Research Center, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju 26426, Republic of Korea;
| | - Jin I. Lee
- Division of Biological Science and Technology, College of Science and Technology, Yonsei University, Wonju 26493, Republic of Korea; (B.-s.K.); (A.V.A.J.); (J.-H.M.)
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Scott A, Willis CR, Muratani M, Higashitani A, Etheridge T, Szewczyk NJ, Deane CS. Caenorhabditis elegans in microgravity: An omics perspective. iScience 2023; 26:107189. [PMID: 37456835 PMCID: PMC10344948 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The application of omics to study Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) in the context of spaceflight is increasing, illuminating the wide-ranging biological impacts of spaceflight on physiology. In this review, we highlight the application of omics, including transcriptomics, genomics, proteomics, multi-omics, and integrated omics in the study of spaceflown C. elegans, and discuss the impact, use, and future direction of this branch of research. We highlight the variety of molecular alterations that occur in response to spaceflight, most notably changes in metabolic and neuromuscular gene regulation. These transcriptional features are reproducible and evident across many spaceflown species (e.g., mice and astronauts), supporting the use of C. elegans as a model organism to study spaceflight physiology with translational capital. Integrating tissue-specific, spatial, and multi-omics approaches, which quantitatively link molecular responses to phenotypic adaptations, will facilitate the identification of candidate regulatory molecules for therapeutic intervention and thus represents the next frontiers in C. elegans space omics research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Scott
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, Ohio University, Athens, OH, USA
| | - Craig R.G. Willis
- School of Chemistry and Biosciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Bradford, Bradford, UK
| | - Masafumi Muratani
- Transborder Medical Research Center and Department of Genome Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan
| | | | - Timothy Etheridge
- Department of Sport and Health Sciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Nathaniel J. Szewczyk
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, Ohio University, Athens, OH, USA
- Ohio Musculoskeletal and Neurological Institute, Ohio University, Athens, OH, USA
| | - Colleen S. Deane
- Department of Sport and Health Sciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
- Human Development & Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, UK
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Soni P, Anupom T, Lesanpezeshki L, Rahman M, Hewitt JE, Vellone M, Stodieck L, Blawzdziewicz J, Szewczyk NJ, Vanapalli SA. Microfluidics-integrated spaceflight hardware for measuring muscle strength of Caenorhabditis elegans on the International Space Station. NPJ Microgravity 2022; 8:50. [PMID: 36344513 PMCID: PMC9640571 DOI: 10.1038/s41526-022-00241-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Caenorhabditis elegans is a low-cost genetic model that has been flown to the International Space Station to investigate the influence of microgravity on changes in the expression of genes involved in muscle maintenance. These studies showed that genes that encode muscle attachment complexes have decreased expression under microgravity. However, it remains to be answered whether the decreased expression leads to concomitant changes in animal muscle strength, specifically across multiple generations. We recently reported the NemaFlex microfluidic device for the measurement of muscle strength of C. elegans (Rahman et al., Lab Chip, 2018). In this study, we redesign our original NemaFlex device and integrate it with flow control hardware for spaceflight investigations considering mixed animal culture, constraints on astronaut time, crew safety, and on-orbit operations. The technical advances we have made include (i) a microfluidic device design that allows animals of a given size to be sorted from unsynchronized cultures and housed in individual chambers, (ii) a fluid handling protocol for injecting the suspension of animals into the microfluidic device that prevents channel clogging, introduction of bubbles, and crowding of animals in the chambers, and (iii) a custom-built worm-loading apparatus interfaced with the microfluidic device that allows easy manipulation of the worm suspension and prevents fluid leakage into the surrounding environment. Collectively, these technical advances enabled the development of new microfluidics-integrated hardware for spaceflight studies in C. elegans. Finally, we report Earth-based validation studies to test this new hardware, which has led to it being flown to the International Space Station.
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Sudevan S, Muto K, Higashitani N, Hashizume T, Higashibata A, Ellwood RA, Deane CS, Rahman M, Vanapalli SA, Etheridge T, Szewczyk NJ, Higashitani A. Loss of physical contact in space alters the dopamine system in C. elegans. iScience 2022; 25:103762. [PMID: 35141505 PMCID: PMC8810405 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.103762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Revised: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Surabhi Sudevan
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8577, Japan
- Medical Research Council (MRC) Versus Arthritis Centre for Musculoskeletal Ageing Research, Royal Derby Hospital, University of Nottingham, Derby, UK
- Musculoskeletal Conditions, National Institute for Health Research Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Derby, UK
| | - Kasumi Muto
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8577, Japan
| | - Nahoko Higashitani
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8577, Japan
| | - Toko Hashizume
- Advanced Engineering Services Co. Ltd, Tsukuba Mitsui Building7F,1-6-1 Takezono, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0032, Japan
| | - Akira Higashibata
- Human Spaceflight Technology Directorate, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, 2-1-1 Sengen, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8505, Japan
| | - Rebecca A. Ellwood
- Medical Research Council (MRC) Versus Arthritis Centre for Musculoskeletal Ageing Research, Royal Derby Hospital, University of Nottingham, Derby, UK
- Musculoskeletal Conditions, National Institute for Health Research Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Derby, UK
| | - Colleen S. Deane
- Department of Sport and Health Sciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, St. Luke's Campus, Exeter, UK
- Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, StockerRoad, Exeter, UK
| | - Mizanur Rahman
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Siva A. Vanapalli
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Timothy Etheridge
- Department of Sport and Health Sciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, St. Luke's Campus, Exeter, UK
- Corresponding author
| | - Nathaniel J. Szewczyk
- Medical Research Council (MRC) Versus Arthritis Centre for Musculoskeletal Ageing Research, Royal Derby Hospital, University of Nottingham, Derby, UK
- Musculoskeletal Conditions, National Institute for Health Research Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Derby, UK
- Ohio Musculoskeletal and Neurologic Institute, Ohio University, Athens, OH, USA
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, Ohio University, Athens, OH, USA
- Corresponding author
| | - Atsushi Higashitani
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8577, Japan
- Corresponding author
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Cahill T, Cope H, Bass JJ, Overbey EG, Gilbert R, da Silveira WA, Paul AM, Mishra T, Herranz R, Reinsch SS, Costes SV, Hardiman G, Szewczyk NJ, Tahimic CGT. Mammalian and Invertebrate Models as Complementary Tools for Gaining Mechanistic Insight on Muscle Responses to Spaceflight. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22179470. [PMID: 34502375 PMCID: PMC8430797 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22179470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Revised: 08/22/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Bioinformatics approaches have proven useful in understanding biological responses to spaceflight. Spaceflight experiments remain resource intensive and rare. One outstanding issue is how to maximize scientific output from a limited number of omics datasets from traditional animal models including nematodes, fruitfly, and rodents. The utility of omics data from invertebrate models in anticipating mammalian responses to spaceflight has not been fully explored. Hence, we performed comparative analyses of transcriptomes of soleus and extensor digitorum longus (EDL) in mice that underwent 37 days of spaceflight. Results indicate shared stress responses and altered circadian rhythm. EDL showed more robust growth signals and Pde2a downregulation, possibly underlying its resistance to atrophy versus soleus. Spaceflight and hindlimb unloading mice shared differential regulation of proliferation, circadian, and neuronal signaling. Shared gene regulation in muscles of humans on bedrest and space flown rodents suggest targets for mitigating muscle atrophy in space and on Earth. Spaceflight responses of C. elegans were more similar to EDL. Discrete life stages of D. melanogaster have distinct utility in anticipating EDL and soleus responses. In summary, spaceflight leads to shared and discrete molecular responses between muscle types and invertebrate models may augment mechanistic knowledge gained from rodent spaceflight and ground-based studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Cahill
- School of Biological Sciences & Institute for Global Food Security, Queens University Belfast, Belfast BT9 5DL, UK; (T.C.); (W.A.d.S.); (G.H.)
| | - Henry Cope
- Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), School of Computer Science, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2QL, UK;
| | - Joseph J. Bass
- MRC-Versus Arthritis Centre for Musculoskeletal Ageing Research and National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2QL, UK; (J.J.B.); (N.J.S.)
| | - Eliah G. Overbey
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA;
| | - Rachel Gilbert
- NASA Ames Research Center, Space Biosciences Division, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA; (R.G.); (A.M.P.); (S.S.R.); (S.V.C.)
- Universities Space Research Association, Columbia, MD 21046, USA
| | - Willian Abraham da Silveira
- School of Biological Sciences & Institute for Global Food Security, Queens University Belfast, Belfast BT9 5DL, UK; (T.C.); (W.A.d.S.); (G.H.)
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Education, Staffordshire University, Stoke-on-Trent ST4 2DF, UK
| | - Amber M. Paul
- NASA Ames Research Center, Space Biosciences Division, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA; (R.G.); (A.M.P.); (S.S.R.); (S.V.C.)
- Department of Human Factors and Behavioral Neurobiology, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, FL 32114, USA
- Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, Seattle, WA 98104, USA
| | - Tejaswini Mishra
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA 94305, USA;
| | - Raúl Herranz
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas–CSIC, Ramiro de Maeztu 9, 28040 Madrid, Spain;
| | - Sigrid S. Reinsch
- NASA Ames Research Center, Space Biosciences Division, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA; (R.G.); (A.M.P.); (S.S.R.); (S.V.C.)
| | - Sylvain V. Costes
- NASA Ames Research Center, Space Biosciences Division, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA; (R.G.); (A.M.P.); (S.S.R.); (S.V.C.)
| | - Gary Hardiman
- School of Biological Sciences & Institute for Global Food Security, Queens University Belfast, Belfast BT9 5DL, UK; (T.C.); (W.A.d.S.); (G.H.)
- Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| | - Nathaniel J. Szewczyk
- MRC-Versus Arthritis Centre for Musculoskeletal Ageing Research and National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2QL, UK; (J.J.B.); (N.J.S.)
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701, USA
| | - Candice G. T. Tahimic
- NASA Ames Research Center, Space Biosciences Division, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA; (R.G.); (A.M.P.); (S.S.R.); (S.V.C.)
- Department of Biology, University of North Florida, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA
- Correspondence:
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Laranjeiro R, Harinath G, Pollard AK, Gaffney CJ, Deane CS, Vanapalli SA, Etheridge T, Szewczyk NJ, Driscoll M. Spaceflight affects neuronal morphology and alters transcellular degradation of neuronal debris in adult Caenorhabditis elegans. iScience 2021; 24:102105. [PMID: 33659873 PMCID: PMC7890410 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Revised: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 01/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Extended space travel is a goal of government space agencies and private companies. However, spaceflight poses risks to human health, and the effects on the nervous system have to be better characterized. Here, we exploited the unique experimental advantages of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans to explore how spaceflight affects adult neurons in vivo. We found that animals that lived 5 days of adulthood on the International Space Station exhibited hyperbranching in PVD and touch receptor neurons. We also found that, in the presence of a neuronal proteotoxic stress, spaceflight promotes a remarkable accumulation of neuronal-derived waste in the surrounding tissues, suggesting an impaired transcellular degradation of debris released from neurons. Our data reveal that spaceflight can significantly affect adult neuronal morphology and clearance of neuronal trash, highlighting the need to carefully assess the risks of long-duration spaceflight on the nervous system and to develop adequate countermeasures for safe space exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ricardo Laranjeiro
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Girish Harinath
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Amelia K. Pollard
- MRC Versus Arthritis Centre for Musculoskeletal Ageing Research and NIHR Nottingham BRC, University of Nottingham, Medical School Royal Derby Hospital, Derby, DE22 3DT, UK
| | - Christopher J. Gaffney
- Sport and Health Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, EX1 2LU, UK
- Lancaster Medical School, Health Innovation One, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4AT, UK
| | - Colleen S. Deane
- Sport and Health Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, EX1 2LU, UK
| | - Siva A. Vanapalli
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA
| | - Timothy Etheridge
- Sport and Health Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, EX1 2LU, UK
| | - Nathaniel J. Szewczyk
- MRC Versus Arthritis Centre for Musculoskeletal Ageing Research and NIHR Nottingham BRC, University of Nottingham, Medical School Royal Derby Hospital, Derby, DE22 3DT, UK
- Ohio Musculoskeletal and Neurologic Institute and Department of Biomedical Sciences, Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701, USA
| | - Monica Driscoll
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
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