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Yi Y, Zhao Z, Cao B, Yi X, Mao Z, Zha F, Zhang Z, Liu H, Luo A. Effects of simulated microgravity on current generation of electrochemically active bacteria: Insights from case-control study using random positioning machine. Bioresour Technol 2024; 399:130618. [PMID: 38518880 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2024.130618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2024] [Revised: 03/16/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/24/2024]
Abstract
Electrochemically active bacteria (EAB) exhibit promising prospects for space exploration and life support systems. However, the effects of the space environment on EAB are unclear. In this study, the effects of simulated microgravity on the current generation of mixed-culture EAB were illustrated, and the underlying mechanism was elucidated. The results demonstrated that the electrochemical activity of mixed-culture EAB was enhanced, which was mainly due to the enrichment of Geobacter and the increase in EAB biomass. Additionally, the genes and proteins of the biofilm changed obviously under simulated microgravity conditions, including: I) genes related to signal transfer, II) genes related to cell wall synthesis, and III) genes related to riboflavin synthesis. This study first revealed the enrichment in EAB abundance, the increase in EAB biomass, and the promotion of current generation under simulated microgravity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Yi
- School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Ziyue Zhao
- School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Bo Cao
- Institute of Environmental Biology and Life Support Technology, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Xuemei Yi
- School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Zhipeng Mao
- School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Fan Zha
- Infore Environment Technology Group, Foshan 528000, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Zhe Zhang
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Hong Liu
- Institute of Environmental Biology and Life Support Technology, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China.
| | - Aiqin Luo
- School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China.
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Urbaniak C, Tesei D, Van Houdt R. Editorial: The impact of the space environment on microbial growth and behavior. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1390100. [PMID: 38585698 PMCID: PMC10995381 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1390100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Camilla Urbaniak
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, United States
- ZIN Technologies-powered by Voyager Space, Middleburg Heights, OH, United States
| | - Donatella Tesei
- University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Rob Van Houdt
- Microbiology Unit, Nuclear Medical Applications, Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK CEN), Mol, Belgium
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Mortazavi SMJ, Said-Salman I, Mortazavi AR, El Khatib S, Sihver L. How the adaptation of the human microbiome to harsh space environment can determine the chances of success for a space mission to Mars and beyond. Front Microbiol 2024; 14:1237564. [PMID: 38390219 PMCID: PMC10881706 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1237564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
The ability of human cells to adapt to space radiation is essential for the well-being of astronauts during long-distance space expeditions, such as voyages to Mars or other deep space destinations. However, the adaptation of the microbiomes should not be overlooked. Microorganisms inside an astronaut's body, or inside the space station or other spacecraft, will also be exposed to radiation, which may induce resistance to antibiotics, UV, heat, desiccation, and other life-threatening factors. Therefore, it is essential to consider the potential effects of radiation not only on humans but also on their microbiomes to develop effective risk reduction strategies for space missions. Studying the human microbiome in space missions can have several potential benefits, including but not limited to a better understanding of the major effects space travel has on human health, developing new technologies for monitoring health and developing new radiation therapies and treatments. While radioadaptive response in astronauts' cells can lead to resistance against high levels of space radiation, radioadaptive response in their microbiome can lead to resistance against UV, heat, desiccation, antibiotics, and radiation. As astronauts and their microbiomes compete to adapt to the space environment. The microorganisms may emerge as the winners, leading to life-threatening situations due to lethal infections. Therefore, understanding the magnitude of the adaptation of microorganisms before launching a space mission is crucial to be able to develop effective strategies to mitigate the risks associated with radiation exposure. Ensuring the safety and well-being of astronauts during long-duration space missions and minimizing the risks linked with radiation exposure can be achieved by adopting this approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seyed Mohammad Javad Mortazavi
- Ionizing and non-ionizing radiation protection research center (INIRPRC), Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Ilham Said-Salman
- Department of Biological and Chemical Sciences, School of Arts & Sciences, Lebanese International University, Saida, Lebanon
- Department of Biological and Chemical Sciences, International University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
| | | | - Sami El Khatib
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences, Lebanese International University, Beirut, Lebanon
- Center for Applied Mathematics and Bioinformatics (CAMB) at Gulf University for Science and Technology, Kuwait City, Kuwait
| | - Lembit Sihver
- Department of Radiation Dosimetry, Nuclear Physics Institute (NPI) of the Czech Academy of Sciences (CAS), Prague, Czechia
- Department of Radiation Physics, Technische Universität Wien Atominstitut, Vienna, Austria
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Sheet S, Sathishkumar Y, Acharya S, Lee YS. Exposure of Legionella pneumophila to low-shear modeled microgravity: impact on stress response, membrane lipid composition, pathogenicity to macrophages and interrelated genes expression. Arch Microbiol 2024; 206:87. [PMID: 38305908 DOI: 10.1007/s00203-023-03753-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
Here, we studied the effect of low-shear modeled microgravity (LSMMG) on cross stress resistance (heat, acid, and oxidative), fatty acid content, and pathogenicity along with alteration in expression of stress-/virulence-associated genes in Legionella pneumophila. The stress resistance analysis result indicated that bacteria cultivated under LSMMG environments showed higher resistance with elevated D-values at 55 °C and in 1 mM of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) conditions compared to normal gravity (NG)-grown bacteria. On the other hand, there was no significant difference in tolerance (p < 0.05) toward simulated gastric fluid (pH-2.5) acid conditions. In fatty acid analysis, our result showed that a total amount of saturated and cyclic fatty acids was increased in LSMMG-grown cells; as a consequence, they might possess low membrane fluidity. An upregulated expression level was noticed for stress-related genes (hslV, htrA, grpE, groL, htpG, clpB, clpX, dnaJ, dnaK, rpoH, rpoE, rpoS, kaiB, kaiC, lpp1114, ahpC1, ahpC2, ahpD, grlA, and gst) under LSMMG conditions. The reduced virulence (less intracellular bacteria and less % of induce apoptosis in RAW 264.7 macrophages) of L. pneumophila under LSMMG conditions may be because of downregulation related genes (dotA, dotB, dotC, dotD, dotG, dotH, dotL, dotM, dotN, icmK, icmB, icmS, icmT, icmW, ladC, rtxA, letA, rpoN, fleQ, fleR, and fliA). In the LSMMG group, the expression of inflammation-related factors, such as IL-1α, TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-8, was observed to be reduced in infected macrophages. Also, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis showed less number of LSMMG-cultivated bacteria attached to the host macrophages compared to NG. Thus, our study provides understandings about the changes in lipid composition and different genes expression due to LSMMG conditions, which apparently influence the alterations of L. pneumophila' stress/virulence response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sunirmal Sheet
- Department of Wood Science and Technology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Jeonbuk National University, 567, Jeonju-si, Jeollabuk-do, Republic of Korea
| | | | - Satabdi Acharya
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Institute for Medical Science, Jeonbuk National University Medical School, 567, Jeonju-si, Jeollabuk-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Yang Soo Lee
- Department of Wood Science and Technology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Jeonbuk National University, 567, Jeonju-si, Jeollabuk-do, Republic of Korea.
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Nardi L, Davis NM, Sansolini S, Baratto de Albuquerque T, Laarraj M, Caputo D, de Cesare G, Shariati Pour SR, Zangheri M, Calabria D, Guardigli M, Balsamo M, Carrubba E, Carubia F, Ceccarelli M, Ghiozzi M, Popova L, Tenaglia A, Crisconio M, Donati A, Nascetti A, Mirasoli M. APHRODITE: A Compact Lab-on-Chip Biosensor for the Real-Time Analysis of Salivary Biomarkers in Space Missions. Biosensors (Basel) 2024; 14:72. [PMID: 38391991 PMCID: PMC10887022 DOI: 10.3390/bios14020072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
One of the main challenges to be faced in deep space missions is to protect the health and ensure the maximum efficiency of the crew by preparing methods of prevention and in situ diagnosis. Indeed, the hostile environment causes important health problems, ranging from muscle atrophy, osteopenia, and immunological and metabolic alterations due to microgravity, to an increased risk of cancer caused by exposure to radiation. It is, therefore, necessary to provide new methods for the real-time measurement of biomarkers suitable for deepening our knowledge of the effects of space flight on the balance of the immune system and for allowing the monitoring of the astronaut's health during long-term missions. APHRODITE will enable human space exploration because it fills this void that affects both missions in LEO and future missions to the Moon and Mars. Its scientific objectives are the design, production, testing, and in-orbit demonstration of a compact, reusable, and reconfigurable system for performing the real-time analysis of oral fluid samples in manned space missions. In the frame of this project, a crew member onboard the ISS will employ APHRODITE to measure the selected target analytes, cortisol, and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S), in oral fluid, in four (plus one additional desired session) separate experiment sessions. The paper addresses the design of the main subsystems of the analytical device and the preliminary results obtained during the first implementations of the device subsystems and testing measurements on Earth. In particular, the system design and the experiment data output of the lab-on-chip photosensors and of the front-end readout electronics are reported in detail along with preliminary chemical tests for the duplex competitive CL-immunoassay for the simultaneous detection of cortisol and DHEA-S. Different applications also on Earth are envisaged for the APHRODITE device, as it will be suitable for point-of-care testing applications (e.g., emergency medicine, bioterrorism, diagnostics in developing countries, etc.).
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Nardi
- School of Aerospace Engineering, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Salaria 851, I-00138 Rome, Italy; (N.M.D.); (S.S.); (T.B.d.A.); (M.L.); (A.N.)
| | - Nithin Maipan Davis
- School of Aerospace Engineering, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Salaria 851, I-00138 Rome, Italy; (N.M.D.); (S.S.); (T.B.d.A.); (M.L.); (A.N.)
| | - Serena Sansolini
- School of Aerospace Engineering, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Salaria 851, I-00138 Rome, Italy; (N.M.D.); (S.S.); (T.B.d.A.); (M.L.); (A.N.)
| | - Thiago Baratto de Albuquerque
- School of Aerospace Engineering, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Salaria 851, I-00138 Rome, Italy; (N.M.D.); (S.S.); (T.B.d.A.); (M.L.); (A.N.)
| | - Mohcine Laarraj
- School of Aerospace Engineering, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Salaria 851, I-00138 Rome, Italy; (N.M.D.); (S.S.); (T.B.d.A.); (M.L.); (A.N.)
| | - Domenico Caputo
- Department of Information Engineering, Electronics and Telecommunications, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Eudossiana 18, I-00184 Rome, Italy; (D.C.); (G.d.C.)
| | - Giampiero de Cesare
- Department of Information Engineering, Electronics and Telecommunications, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Eudossiana 18, I-00184 Rome, Italy; (D.C.); (G.d.C.)
| | - Seyedeh Rojin Shariati Pour
- Department of Chemistry “Giacomo Ciamician”, Alma Mater Studiorum—University of Bologna, Tecnopolo di Rimini, Via Dario Campana 71, I-47922 Rimini, Italy; (S.R.S.P.); (M.Z.); (M.M.)
| | - Martina Zangheri
- Department of Chemistry “Giacomo Ciamician”, Alma Mater Studiorum—University of Bologna, Tecnopolo di Rimini, Via Dario Campana 71, I-47922 Rimini, Italy; (S.R.S.P.); (M.Z.); (M.M.)
| | - Donato Calabria
- Department of Chemistry “Giacomo Ciamician”, Alma Mater Studiorum—University of Bologna, Via Selmi 2, I-40126 Bologna, Italy; (D.C.); (M.G.)
- Interdepartmental Centre for Industrial Aerospace Research (CIRI AEROSPACE), Alma Mater Studiorum—University of Bologna, Via Baldassarre Canaccini 12, I-47121 Forlì, Italy
| | - Massimo Guardigli
- Department of Chemistry “Giacomo Ciamician”, Alma Mater Studiorum—University of Bologna, Via Selmi 2, I-40126 Bologna, Italy; (D.C.); (M.G.)
- Interdepartmental Centre for Industrial Aerospace Research (CIRI AEROSPACE), Alma Mater Studiorum—University of Bologna, Via Baldassarre Canaccini 12, I-47121 Forlì, Italy
| | - Michele Balsamo
- Kayser Italy S.r.l. Unipersonale, Via di Popogna 501, I-57128 Livorno, Italy; (M.B.); (E.C.); (F.C.); (M.C.); (M.G.); (L.P.); (A.T.); (A.D.)
| | - Elisa Carrubba
- Kayser Italy S.r.l. Unipersonale, Via di Popogna 501, I-57128 Livorno, Italy; (M.B.); (E.C.); (F.C.); (M.C.); (M.G.); (L.P.); (A.T.); (A.D.)
| | - Fabrizio Carubia
- Kayser Italy S.r.l. Unipersonale, Via di Popogna 501, I-57128 Livorno, Italy; (M.B.); (E.C.); (F.C.); (M.C.); (M.G.); (L.P.); (A.T.); (A.D.)
| | - Marco Ceccarelli
- Kayser Italy S.r.l. Unipersonale, Via di Popogna 501, I-57128 Livorno, Italy; (M.B.); (E.C.); (F.C.); (M.C.); (M.G.); (L.P.); (A.T.); (A.D.)
| | - Michele Ghiozzi
- Kayser Italy S.r.l. Unipersonale, Via di Popogna 501, I-57128 Livorno, Italy; (M.B.); (E.C.); (F.C.); (M.C.); (M.G.); (L.P.); (A.T.); (A.D.)
| | - Liyana Popova
- Kayser Italy S.r.l. Unipersonale, Via di Popogna 501, I-57128 Livorno, Italy; (M.B.); (E.C.); (F.C.); (M.C.); (M.G.); (L.P.); (A.T.); (A.D.)
| | - Andrea Tenaglia
- Kayser Italy S.r.l. Unipersonale, Via di Popogna 501, I-57128 Livorno, Italy; (M.B.); (E.C.); (F.C.); (M.C.); (M.G.); (L.P.); (A.T.); (A.D.)
| | - Marino Crisconio
- Agenzia Spaziale Italiana (ASI), Italian Space Agency, Via del Politecnico, I-00133 Rome, Italy;
| | - Alessandro Donati
- Kayser Italy S.r.l. Unipersonale, Via di Popogna 501, I-57128 Livorno, Italy; (M.B.); (E.C.); (F.C.); (M.C.); (M.G.); (L.P.); (A.T.); (A.D.)
| | - Augusto Nascetti
- School of Aerospace Engineering, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Salaria 851, I-00138 Rome, Italy; (N.M.D.); (S.S.); (T.B.d.A.); (M.L.); (A.N.)
| | - Mara Mirasoli
- Department of Chemistry “Giacomo Ciamician”, Alma Mater Studiorum—University of Bologna, Tecnopolo di Rimini, Via Dario Campana 71, I-47922 Rimini, Italy; (S.R.S.P.); (M.Z.); (M.M.)
- Interdepartmental Centre for Industrial Aerospace Research (CIRI AEROSPACE), Alma Mater Studiorum—University of Bologna, Via Baldassarre Canaccini 12, I-47121 Forlì, Italy
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Berliner AJ, Zezulka S, Hutchinson GA, Bertoldo S, Cockell CS, Arkin AP. Domains of life sciences in spacefaring: what, where, and how to get involved. NPJ Microgravity 2024; 10:12. [PMID: 38287000 PMCID: PMC10825151 DOI: 10.1038/s41526-024-00354-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 01/31/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Aaron J Berliner
- Center for the Utilization of Biological Engineering in Space (CUBES), Berkeley, CA, USA.
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
- Program in Aerospace Engineering, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
| | - Spencer Zezulka
- Center for the Utilization of Biological Engineering in Space (CUBES), Berkeley, CA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- School of Information, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Gwyneth A Hutchinson
- Center for the Utilization of Biological Engineering in Space (CUBES), Berkeley, CA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Sophia Bertoldo
- Center for the Utilization of Biological Engineering in Space (CUBES), Berkeley, CA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Charles S Cockell
- UK Centre for Astrobiology, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Adam P Arkin
- Center for the Utilization of Biological Engineering in Space (CUBES), Berkeley, CA, USA.
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
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Zhu D, Qiao P, Zhou Q, Sun H, Xin B, Wu B, Tang C. Effect of 15 days -6° head-down bed rest on microbial communities of supragingival plaque in young men. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1331023. [PMID: 38328428 PMCID: PMC10849213 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1331023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction The microgravity environment astronauts experience during spaceflight can lead to an increased risk of oral diseases and possible changes in oral microecology. In this study, we aimed to assess changes in the microbial community of supragingival plaques to explore the effects of spaceflight microgravity environment on oral microecology. Methods Sixteen healthy male volunteers were recruited, and supragingival plaque samples were collected under -6° head-down bed rest (HDBR) at five-time points: day 1 before HDBR; days 5, 10, and 15 of HDBR; and day 6 of recovery. Bacterial genomic DNA was sequenced using gene sequencing technology with 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid V3-V4 hypervariable region amplification and the obtained data were analyzed bioinformatically. Results Alpha diversity analysis showed a significant increase in species richness in supragingival plaque samples on day 15 of HDBR compared with that at pre-HDBR. Beta diversity analysis revealed that the community composition differed among the groups. Species distribution showed that, compared with those at pre-HDBR, the relative abundances of Corynebacterium and Aggregatibacter increased significantly during HDBR, while those of Veillonella, Streptococcus, and Lautropia decreased significantly. Moreover, compared with those at pre-HDBR, the relative abundance of Leptotrichia increased significantly on day 6 of recovery, whereas the relative abundances of Porphyromonas and Streptococcus decreased significantly. Network analysis showed that the interaction relationship between the dominant genera became simpler during HDBR, and the positive and negative correlations between them showed dynamic changes. Phylogenetic investigation of communities by reconstruction of unobserved states analysis showed that the amino acid metabolism function of plaque microorganisms was more enriched during HDBR. Discussion In summary, in a 15-day simulated microgravity environment, the diversity, species distribution, interaction relationship, and metabolic function of the supragingival plaque microbial community changed, which suggests that microgravity may affect the oral microecosystem by changing the balance of supragingival plaque microbial communities and further leading to the occurrence and development of oral diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Di Zhu
- 306th Clinical College of PLA, The Fifth Clinical College, Anhui Medical University, Beijing, China
- Department of Stomatology, PLA Strategic Support Force Medical Center, Beijing, China
| | - Pengyan Qiao
- Department of Stomatology, PLA Strategic Support Force Medical Center, Beijing, China
| | - Qian Zhou
- Department of Stomatology, PLA Strategic Support Force Medical Center, Beijing, China
| | - Hui Sun
- 306th Clinical College of PLA, The Fifth Clinical College, Anhui Medical University, Beijing, China
- Department of Stomatology, PLA Strategic Support Force Medical Center, Beijing, China
| | - Bingmu Xin
- Engineering Research Center of Human Circadian Rhythm and Sleep, Space Science and Technology Institute, Shenzhen, China
| | - Bin Wu
- China Astronaut Research and Training Center, Beijing, China
| | - Chuhua Tang
- 306th Clinical College of PLA, The Fifth Clinical College, Anhui Medical University, Beijing, China
- Department of Stomatology, PLA Strategic Support Force Medical Center, Beijing, China
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Totsline N, Kniel KE, Sabagyanam C, Bais HP. Simulated microgravity facilitates stomatal ingression by Salmonella in lettuce and suppresses a biocontrol agent. Sci Rep 2024; 14:898. [PMID: 38195662 PMCID: PMC10776768 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-51573-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/07/2024] [Indexed: 01/11/2024] Open
Abstract
As human spaceflight increases in duration, cultivation of crops in spaceflight is crucial to protecting human health under microgravity and elevated oxidative stress. Foodborne pathogens (e.g., Salmonella enterica) carried by leafy green vegetables are a significant cause of human disease. Our previous work showed that Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium suppresses defensive closure of foliar stomata in lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) to ingress interior tissues of leaves. While there are no reported occurrences of foodborne disease in spaceflight to date, known foodborne pathogens persist aboard the International Space Station and space-grown lettuce has been colonized by a diverse microbiome including bacterial genera known to contain human pathogens. Interactions between leafy green vegetables and human bacterial pathogens under microgravity conditions present in spaceflight are unknown. Additionally, stomatal dynamics under microgravity conditions need further elucidation. Here, we employ a slow-rotating 2-D clinostat to simulate microgravity upon in-vitro lettuce plants following a foliar inoculation with S. enterica Typhimurium and use confocal microscopy to measure stomatal width in fixed leaf tissue. Our results reveal significant differences in average stomatal aperture width between an unrotated vertical control, plants rotated at 2 revolutions per minute (2 RPM), and 4 RPM, with and without the presence of S. typhimurium. Interestingly, we found stomatal aperture width in the presence of S. typhimurium to be increased under rotation as compared to unrotated inoculated plants. Using confocal Z-stacking, we observed greater average depth of stomatal ingression by S. typhimurium in lettuce under rotation at 4 RPM compared to unrotated and inoculated plants, along with greater in planta populations of S. typhimurium in lettuce rotated at 4 RPM using serial dilution plating of homogenized surface sterilized leaves. Given these findings, we tested the ability of the plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) Bacillus subtilis strain UD1022 to transiently restrict stomatal apertures of lettuce both alone and co-inoculated with S. typhimurium under rotated and unrotated conditions as a means of potentially reducing stomatal ingression by S. typhimurium under simulated microgravity. Surprisingly, rotation at 4 RPM strongly inhibited the ability of UD1022 alone to restrict stomatal apertures and attenuated its efficacy as a biocontrol following co-inoculation with S. typhimurium. Our results highlight potential spaceflight food safety issues unique to production of crops in microgravity conditions and suggest microgravity may dramatically reduce the ability of PGPRs to restrict stomatal apertures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noah Totsline
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, 19713, USA.
- Delaware Biotechnology Institute, University of Delaware, 311 AP Biopharma, 590 Avenue 1743, Newark, DE, 19713, USA.
| | - Kalmia E Kniel
- Department of Animal and Food Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, 19713, USA
| | - Chandran Sabagyanam
- Delaware Biotechnology Institute, University of Delaware, 311 AP Biopharma, 590 Avenue 1743, Newark, DE, 19713, USA
| | - Harsh P Bais
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, 19713, USA.
- Delaware Biotechnology Institute, University of Delaware, 311 AP Biopharma, 590 Avenue 1743, Newark, DE, 19713, USA.
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Sharma G, Zee PC, Zea L, Curtis PD. Whole genome-scale assessment of gene fitness of Novosphingobium aromaticavorans during spaceflight. BMC Genomics 2023; 24:782. [PMID: 38102595 PMCID: PMC10725011 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-023-09799-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
In microgravity, bacteria undergo intriguing physiological adaptations. There have been few attempts to assess global bacterial physiological responses to microgravity, with most studies only focusing on a handful of individual systems. This study assessed the fitness of each gene in the genome of the aromatic compound-degrading Alphaproteobacterium Novosphingobium aromaticavorans during growth in spaceflight. This was accomplished using Comparative TnSeq, which involves culturing the same saturating transposon mutagenized library under two different conditions. To assess gene fitness, a novel comparative TnSeq analytical tool was developed, named TnDivA, that is particularly useful in leveraging biological replicates. In this approach, transposon diversity is represented numerically using a modified Shannon diversity index, which was then converted into effective transposon density. This transformation accounts for variability in read distribution between samples, such as cases where reads were dominated by only a few transposon inserts. Effective density values were analyzed using multiple statistical methods, including log2-fold change, least-squares regression analysis, and Welch's t-test. The results obtained across applied statistical methods show a difference in the number of significant genes identified. However, the functional categories of genes important to growth in microgravity showed similar patterns. Lipid metabolism and transport, energy production, transcription, translation, and secondary metabolite biosynthesis and transport were shown to have high fitness during spaceflight. This suggests that core metabolic processes, including lipid and secondary metabolism, play an important role adapting to stress and promoting growth in microgravity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gayatri Sharma
- Department of Biology, University of Mississippi, 402 Shoemaker Hall, University, MS, 38677, USA
| | - Peter C Zee
- Department of Biology, University of Mississippi, 402 Shoemaker Hall, University, MS, 38677, USA
| | - Luis Zea
- Aerospace Engineering Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, 80303, USA
| | - Patrick D Curtis
- Department of Biology, University of Mississippi, 402 Shoemaker Hall, University, MS, 38677, USA.
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10
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Espinosa-Ortiz EJ, Gerlach R, Peyton BM, Roberson L, Yeh DH. Biofilm reactors for the treatment of used water in space:potential, challenges, and future perspectives. Biofilm 2023; 6:100140. [PMID: 38078057 PMCID: PMC10704334 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioflm.2023.100140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 02/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Water is not only essential to sustain life on Earth, but also is a crucial resource for long-duration deep space exploration and habitation. Current systems in space rely on the resupply of water from Earth, however, as missions get longer and move farther away from Earth, resupply will no longer be a sustainable option. Thus, the development of regenerative reclamation water systems through which useable water can be recovered from "waste streams" (i.e., used waters) is sorely needed to further close the loop in space life support systems. This review presents the origin and characteristics of different used waters generated in space and discusses the intrinsic challenges of developing suitable technologies to treat such streams given the unique constrains of space exploration and habitation (e.g., different gravity conditions, size and weight limitations, compatibility with other systems, etc.). In this review, we discuss the potential use of biological systems, particularly biofilms, as possible alternatives or additions to current technologies for water reclamation and waste treatment in space. The fundamentals of biofilm reactors, their advantages and disadvantages, as well as different reactor configurations and their potential for use and challenges to be incorporated in self-sustaining and regenerative life support systems in long-duration space missions are also discussed. Furthermore, we discuss the possibility to recover value-added products (e.g., biomass, nutrients, water) from used waters and the opportunity to recycle and reuse such products as resources in other life support subsystems (e.g., habitation, waste, air, etc.).
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika J. Espinosa-Ortiz
- Center for Biofilm Engineering, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, 59717, USA
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, 59717, USA
| | - Robin Gerlach
- Center for Biofilm Engineering, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, 59717, USA
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, 59717, USA
| | - Brent M. Peyton
- Center for Biofilm Engineering, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, 59717, USA
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, 59717, USA
| | - Luke Roberson
- Exploration Research and Technology Directorate, NASA, Kennedy Space Center, 32899, USA
| | - Daniel H. Yeh
- Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, 33620, USA
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11
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Marra D, Karapantsios T, Caserta S, Secchi E, Holynska M, Labarthe S, Polizzi B, Ortega S, Kostoglou M, Lasseur C, Karapanagiotis I, Lecuyer S, Bridier A, Noirot-Gros MF, Briandet R. Migration of surface-associated microbial communities in spaceflight habitats. Biofilm 2023; 5:100109. [PMID: 36909662 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioflm.2023.100109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2022] [Revised: 02/05/2023] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Astronauts are spending longer periods locked up in ships or stations for scientific and exploration spatial missions. The International Space Station (ISS) has been inhabited continuously for more than 20 years and the duration of space stays by crews could lengthen with the objectives of human presence on the moon and Mars. If the environment of these space habitats is designed for the comfort of astronauts, it is also conducive to other forms of life such as embarked microorganisms. The latter, most often associated with surfaces in the form of biofilm, have been implicated in significant degradation of the functionality of pieces of equipment in space habitats. The most recent research suggests that microgravity could increase the persistence, resistance and virulence of pathogenic microorganisms detected in these communities, endangering the health of astronauts and potentially jeopardizing long-duration manned missions. In this review, we describe the mechanisms and dynamics of installation and propagation of these microbial communities associated with surfaces (spatial migration), as well as long-term processes of adaptation and evolution in these extreme environments (phenotypic and genetic migration), with special reference to human health. We also discuss the means of control envisaged to allow a lasting cohabitation between these vibrant microscopic passengers and the astronauts.
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12
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Green MJ, Murray EJ, Williams P, Ghaemmaghami AM, Aylott JW, Williams PM. Modelled-Microgravity Reduces Virulence Factor Production in Staphylococcus aureus through Downregulation of agr-Dependent Quorum Sensing. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:15997. [PMID: 37958979 PMCID: PMC10648752 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242115997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Revised: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacterial contamination during space missions is problematic for human health and damages filters and other vital support systems. Staphylococcus aureus is both a human commensal and an opportunistic pathogen that colonizes human tissues and causes acute and chronic infections. Virulence and colonization factors are positively and negatively regulated, respectively, by bacterial cell-to-cell communication (quorum sensing) via the agr (accessory gene regulator) system. When cultured under low-shear modelled microgravity conditions (LSMMG), S. aureus has been reported to maintain a colonization rather than a pathogenic phenotype. Here, we show that the modulation of agr expression via reduced production of autoinducing peptide (AIP) signal molecules was responsible for this behavior. In an LSMMG environment, the S. aureus strains JE2 (methicillin-resistant) and SH1000 (methicillin-sensitive) both exhibited reduced cytotoxicity towards the human leukemia monocytic cell line (THP-1) and increased fibronectin binding. Using S. aureus agrP3::lux reporter gene fusions and mass spectrometry to quantify the AIP concentrations, the activation of agr, which depends on the binding of AIP to the transcriptional regulator AgrC, was delayed in the strains with an intact autoinducible agr system. This was because AIP production was reduced under these growth conditions compared with the ground controls. Under LSMMG, S. aureus agrP3::lux reporter strains that cannot produce endogenous AIPs still responded to exogenous AIPs. Provision of exogenous AIPs to S. aureus USA300 during microgravity culture restored the cytotoxicity of culture supernatants for the THP-1 cells. These data suggest that microgravity does not affect AgrC-AIP interactions but more likely the generation of AIPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Macauley J. Green
- School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK; (M.J.G.)
| | - Ewan J. Murray
- Biodiscovery Institute and School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK (P.W.)
| | - Paul Williams
- Biodiscovery Institute and School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK (P.W.)
| | - Amir M. Ghaemmaghami
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Jonathan W. Aylott
- School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK; (M.J.G.)
| | - Philip M. Williams
- School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK; (M.J.G.)
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13
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Totsline N, Kniel KE, Bais HP. Microgravity and evasion of plant innate immunity by human bacterial pathogens. NPJ Microgravity 2023; 9:71. [PMID: 37679341 PMCID: PMC10485020 DOI: 10.1038/s41526-023-00323-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Spaceflight microgravity and modeled-microgravity analogs (MMA) broadly alter gene expression and physiology in both pathogens and plants. Research elucidating plant and bacterial responses to normal gravity or microgravity has shown the involvement of both physiological and molecular mechanisms. Under true and simulated microgravity, plants display differential expression of pathogen-defense genes while human bacterial pathogens exhibit increased virulence, antibiotic resistance, stress tolerance, and reduced LD50 in animal hosts. Human bacterial pathogens including Salmonella enterica and E. coli act as cross-kingdom foodborne pathogens by evading and suppressing the innate immunity of plants for colonization of intracellular spaces. It is unknown if evasion and colonization of plants by human pathogens occurs under microgravity and if there is increased infection capability as demonstrated using animal hosts. Understanding the relationship between microgravity, plant immunity, and human pathogens could prevent potentially deadly outbreaks of foodborne disease during spaceflight. This review will summarize (1) alterations to the virulency of human pathogens under microgravity and MMA, (2) alterations to plant physiology and gene expression under microgravity and MMA, (3) suppression and evasion of plant immunity by human pathogens under normal gravity, (4) studies of plant-microbe interactions under microgravity and MMA. A conclusion suggests future study of interactions between plants and human pathogens under microgravity is beneficial to human safety, and an investment in humanity's long and short-term space travel goals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noah Totsline
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, AP Biopharma, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA.
| | - Kalmia E Kniel
- Department of Animal and Food Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
| | - Harsh P Bais
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, AP Biopharma, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
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14
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Mahalmani V, Medhi B. Space medicine: Hunting for pharmacologist's guide in dealing with drugs in microgravity. Indian J Pharmacol 2023; 55:281-285. [PMID: 37929405 PMCID: PMC10751531 DOI: 10.4103/ijp.ijp_591_23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Revised: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Vidya Mahalmani
- Department of Pharmacology, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, KAHER, Belagavi, Karnataka, India
| | - Bikash Medhi
- Department of Pharmacology, PGIMER, Chandigarh, India
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15
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Klos B, Steinbach C, Ketel J, Lambert C, Penders J, Doré J, Enck P, Mack I. Effects of isolation and confinement on gastrointestinal microbiota-a systematic review. Front Nutr 2023; 10:1214016. [PMID: 37492598 PMCID: PMC10364611 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2023.1214016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose The gastrointestinal (GI) microbiota is a complex and dynamic ecosystem whose composition and function are influenced by many internal and external factors. Overall, the individual GI microbiota composition appears to be rather stable but can be influenced by extreme shifts in environmental exposures. To date, there is no systematic literature review that examines the effects of extreme environmental conditions, such as strict isolation and confinement, on the GI microbiota. Methods We conducted a systematic review to examine the effects of isolated and confined environments on the human GI microbiota. The literature search was conducted according to PRISMA criteria using PubMed, Web of Science and Cochrane Library. Relevant studies were identified based on exposure to isolated and confined environments, generally being also antigen-limited, for a minimum of 28 days and classified according to the microbiota analysis method (cultivation- or molecular based approaches) and the isolation habitat (space, space- or microgravity simulation such as MARS-500 or natural isolation such as Antarctica). Microbial shifts in abundance, alpha diversity and community structure in response to isolation were assessed. Results Regardless of the study habitat, inconsistent shifts in abundance of 40 different genera, mainly in the phylum Bacillota (formerly Firmicutes) were reported. Overall, the heterogeneity of studies was high. Reducing heterogeneity was neither possible by differentiating the microbiota analysis methods nor by subgrouping according to the isolation habitat. Alpha diversity evolved non-specifically, whereas the microbial community structure remained dissimilar despite partial convergence. The GI ecosystem returned to baseline levels following exposure, showing resilience irrespective of the experiment length. Conclusion An isolated and confined environment has a considerable impact on the GI microbiota composition in terms of diversity and relative abundances of dominant taxa. However, due to a limited number of studies with rather small sample sizes, it is important to approach an in-depth conclusion with caution, and results should be considered as a preliminary trend. The risk of dysbiosis and associated diseases should be considered when planning future projects in extreme environments. Systematic review registration https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, identifier CRD42022357589.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bea Klos
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Christina Steinbach
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Jasmin Ketel
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Claude Lambert
- CIRI–Immunology Lab University Hospital, Saint-Étienne, France
- LCOMS/ENOSIS Université de Lorraine, Metz, France
| | - John Penders
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Infectious Diseases and Infection Prevention, Maastricht University Medical Center, CAPHRI Care and Public Health Research Institute, Maastricht, Netherlands
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Infectious Diseases and Infection Prevention, Maastricht University Medical Center, School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Joël Doré
- UMR Micalis Institut, INRA, Paris-Saclay University, Jouy-En-Josas, France
| | - Paul Enck
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Isabelle Mack
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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16
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Koehle AP, Brumwell SL, Seto EP, Lynch AM, Urbaniak C. Microbial applications for sustainable space exploration beyond low Earth orbit. NPJ Microgravity 2023; 9:47. [PMID: 37344487 DOI: 10.1038/s41526-023-00285-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023] Open
Abstract
With the construction of the International Space Station, humans have been continuously living and working in space for 22 years. Microbial studies in space and other extreme environments on Earth have shown the ability for bacteria and fungi to adapt and change compared to "normal" conditions. Some of these changes, like biofilm formation, can impact astronaut health and spacecraft integrity in a negative way, while others, such as a propensity for plastic degradation, can promote self-sufficiency and sustainability in space. With the next era of space exploration upon us, which will see crewed missions to the Moon and Mars in the next 10 years, incorporating microbiology research into planning, decision-making, and mission design will be paramount to ensuring success of these long-duration missions. These can include astronaut microbiome studies to protect against infections, immune system dysfunction and bone deterioration, or biological in situ resource utilization (bISRU) studies that incorporate microbes to act as radiation shields, create electricity and establish robust plant habitats for fresh food and recycling of waste. In this review, information will be presented on the beneficial use of microbes in bioregenerative life support systems, their applicability to bISRU, and their capability to be genetically engineered for biotechnological space applications. In addition, we discuss the negative effect microbes and microbial communities may have on long-duration space travel and provide mitigation strategies to reduce their impact. Utilizing the benefits of microbes, while understanding their limitations, will help us explore deeper into space and develop sustainable human habitats on the Moon, Mars and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison P Koehle
- Department of Plant Science, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Stephanie L Brumwell
- Department of Biochemistry, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | | | - Anne M Lynch
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Graduate Program in Developmental Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Camilla Urbaniak
- ZIN Technologies Inc, Middleburg Heights, OH, USA.
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA.
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Piscon B, Pia Esposito E, Fichtman B, Samburski G, Efremushkin L, Amselem S, Harel A, Rahav G, Zarrilli R, Gal-Mor O. The Effect of Outer Space and Other Environmental Cues on Bacterial Conjugation. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0368822. [PMID: 36995224 PMCID: PMC10269834 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.03688-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacterial conjugation is one of the most abundant horizontal gene transfer (HGT) mechanisms, playing a fundamental role in prokaryote evolution. A better understanding of bacterial conjugation and its cross talk with the environment is needed for a more complete understanding of HGT mechanisms and to fight the dissemination of malicious genes between bacteria. Here, we studied the effect of outer space, microgravity, and additional key environmental cues on transfer (tra) gene expression and conjugation efficiency, using the under studied broad-host range plasmid pN3, as a model. High resolution scanning electron microscopy revealed the morphology of the pN3 conjugative pili and mating pair formation during conjugation. Using a nanosatellite carrying a miniaturized lab, we studied pN3 conjugation in outer space, and used qRT-PCR, Western blotting and mating assays to determine the effect of ground physicochemical parameters on tra gene expression and conjugation. We showed for the first time that bacterial conjugation can occur in outer space and on the ground, under microgravity-simulated conditions. Furthermore, we demonstrated that microgravity, liquid media, elevated temperature, nutrient depletion, high osmolarity and low oxygen significantly reduce pN3 conjugation. Interestingly, under some of these conditions we observed an inverse correlation between tra gene transcription and conjugation frequency and found that induction of at least traK and traL can negatively affect pN3 conjugation frequency in a dose-dependent manner. Collectively, these results uncover pN3 regulation by various environmental cues and highlight the diversity of conjugation systems and the different ways in which they may be regulated in response to abiotic signals. IMPORTANCE Bacterial conjugation is a highly ubiquitous and promiscuous process, by which a donor bacterium transfers a large portion of genetic material to a recipient cell. This mechanism of horizontal gene transfer plays an important role in bacterial evolution and in the ability of bacteria to acquire resistance to antimicrobial drugs and disinfectants. Bacterial conjugation is a complex and energy-consuming process, that is tightly regulated and largely affected by various environmental signals sensed by the bacterial cell. Comprehensive knowledge about bacterial conjugation and the ways it is affected by environmental cues is required to better understand bacterial ecology and evolution and to find new effective ways to counteract the threating dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes between bacterial populations. Moreover, characterizing this process under stress or suboptimal growth conditions such as elevated temperatures, high salinity or in the outer space, may provide insights relevant to future habitat environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bar Piscon
- The Infectious Diseases Research Laboratory, Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Eliana Pia Esposito
- Department of Public Health, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Boris Fichtman
- Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, Bar-Ilan University, Safed, Israel
| | - Guy Samburski
- SpacePharma R&D Israel LTD., Herzliya Pituach, Israel & SpacePharma SA, Courgenay, Switzerland
| | - Lihi Efremushkin
- SpacePharma R&D Israel LTD., Herzliya Pituach, Israel & SpacePharma SA, Courgenay, Switzerland
| | - Shimon Amselem
- SpacePharma R&D Israel LTD., Herzliya Pituach, Israel & SpacePharma SA, Courgenay, Switzerland
| | - Amnon Harel
- Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, Bar-Ilan University, Safed, Israel
| | - Galia Rahav
- The Infectious Diseases Research Laboratory, Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Raffaele Zarrilli
- Department of Public Health, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Ohad Gal-Mor
- The Infectious Diseases Research Laboratory, Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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18
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Singh NK, Wood JM, Patane J, Moura LMS, Lombardino J, Setubal JC, Venkateswaran K. Characterization of metagenome-assembled genomes from the International Space Station. Microbiome 2023; 11:125. [PMID: 37264385 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-023-01545-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Several investigations on the microbial diversity and functional properties of the International Space Station (ISS) environment were carried out to understand the influence of spaceflight conditions on the microbial population. However, metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) of ISS samples are yet to be generated and subjected to various genomic analyses, including phylogenetic affiliation, predicted functional pathways, antimicrobial resistance, and virulence characteristics. RESULTS In total, 46 MAGs were assembled from 21 ISS environmental metagenomes, in which metaSPAdes yielded 20 MAGs and metaWRAP generated 26 MAGs. Among 46 MAGs retrieved, 18 bacterial species were identified, including one novel genus/species combination (Kalamiella piersonii) and one novel bacterial species (Methylobacterium ajmalii). In addition, four bins exhibited fungal genomes; this is the first-time fungal genomes were assembled from ISS metagenomes. Phylogenetic analyses of five bacterial species showed ISS-specific evolution. The genes pertaining to cell membranes, such as transmembrane transport, cell wall organization, and regulation of cell shape, were enriched. Variations in the antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) and virulence genes of the selected 20 MAGs were characterized to predict the ecology and evolution of biosafety level (BSL) 2 microorganisms in space. Since microbial virulence increases in microgravity, AMR gene sequences of MAGs were compared with genomes of respective ISS isolates and corresponding type strains. Among these 20 MAGs characterized, AMR genes were more prevalent in the Enterobacter bugandensis MAG, which has been predominantly isolated from clinical samples. MAGs were further used to analyze if genes involved in AMR and biofilm formation of viable microbes in ISS have variation due to generational evolution in microgravity and radiation pressure. CONCLUSIONS Comparative analyses of MAGs and whole-genome sequences of related ISS isolates and their type strains were characterized to understand the variation related to the microbial evolution under microgravity. The Pantoea/Kalamiella strains have the maximum single-nucleotide polymorphisms found within the ISS strains examined. This may suggest that Pantoea/Kalamiella strains are much more subjective to microgravity changes. The reconstructed genomes will enable researchers to study the evolution of genomes under microgravity and low-dose irradiation compared to the evolution of microbes here on Earth. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nitin K Singh
- Biotechnology and Planetary Protection Group, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 91109, USA
| | - Jason M Wood
- Biotechnology and Planetary Protection Group, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 91109, USA
| | - Jose Patane
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Livia Maria Silva Moura
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Jonathan Lombardino
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - João Carlos Setubal
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Kasthuri Venkateswaran
- Biotechnology and Planetary Protection Group, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 91109, USA.
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19
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Lombini M, Schreiber L, Albertini R, Alessi EM, Attinà P, Bianco A, Cascone E, Colucci ME, Cortecchia F, De Caprio V, Diolaiti E, Fiorini M, Lessio L, Macchi A, Malaguti G, Mongelluzzo G, Pareschi G, Pelizzo MG, Pasquarella C. Solar ultraviolet light collector for germicidal irradiation on the moon. Sci Rep 2023; 13:8326. [PMID: 37221252 PMCID: PMC10204019 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-35438-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Prolonged human-crewed missions on the Moon are foreseen as a gateway for Mars and asteroid colonisation in the next decades. Health risks related to long-time permanence in space have been partially investigated. Hazards due to airborne biological contaminants represent a relevant problem in space missions. A possible way to perform pathogens' inactivation is by employing the shortest wavelength range of Solar ultraviolet radiation, the so-called germicidal range. On Earth, it is totally absorbed by the atmosphere and does not reach the surface. In space, such Ultraviolet solar component is present and effective germicidal irradiation for airborne pathogens' inactivation can be achieved inside habitable outposts through a combination of highly reflective internal coating and optimised geometry of the air ducts. The Solar Ultraviolet Light Collector for Germicidal Irradiation on the Moon is a project whose aim is to collect Ultraviolet solar radiation and use it as a source to disinfect the re-circulating air of the human outposts. The most favourable positions where to place these collectors are over the peaks at the Moon's poles, which have the peculiarity of being exposed to solar radiation most of the time. On August 2022, NASA communicated to have identified 13 candidate landing regions near the lunar South Pole for Artemis missions. Another advantage of the Moon is its low inclination to the ecliptic, which maintains the Sun's apparent altitude inside a reduced angular range. For this reason, Ultraviolet solar radiation can be collected through a simplified Sun's tracking collector or even a static collector and used to disinfect the recycled air. Fluid-dynamic and optical simulations have been performed to support the proposed idea. The expected inactivation rates for some airborne pathogens, either common or found on the International Space Station, are reported and compared with the proposed device efficiency. The results show that it is possible to use Ultraviolet solar radiation directly for air disinfection inside the lunar outposts and deliver a healthy living environment to the astronauts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Lombini
- Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica - Osservatorio di Astrofisica e Scienza dello Spazio di Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
| | - Laura Schreiber
- Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica - Osservatorio di Astrofisica e Scienza dello Spazio di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Roberto Albertini
- Dipartimento di Medicina e Chirurgia, Università di Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Elisa Maria Alessi
- Istituto di Matematica Applicata e Tecnologie Informatiche "E. Magenes" - Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Milan, Italy
| | - Primo Attinà
- Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica - Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera, Merate, LC, Italy
| | - Andrea Bianco
- Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica - Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera, Merate, LC, Italy
| | - Enrico Cascone
- Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica - Osservatorio Astronomico di Capodimonte, Naples, Italy
| | | | - Fausto Cortecchia
- Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica - Osservatorio di Astrofisica e Scienza dello Spazio di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Vincenzo De Caprio
- Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica - Osservatorio Astronomico di Capodimonte, Naples, Italy
| | - Emiliano Diolaiti
- Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica - Osservatorio di Astrofisica e Scienza dello Spazio di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Mauro Fiorini
- Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica - Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale e Fisica Cosmica di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Luigi Lessio
- Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica - Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova, Padua, Italy
| | - Alberto Macchi
- Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica - Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera, Merate, LC, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Malaguti
- Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica - Osservatorio di Astrofisica e Scienza dello Spazio di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Mongelluzzo
- Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica - Osservatorio Astronomico di Capodimonte, Naples, Italy
| | - Giovanni Pareschi
- Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica - Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera, Merate, LC, Italy
| | - Maria G Pelizzo
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria dell'Informazione, Università di Padova, Padua, Italy
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20
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McDonagh F, Cormican M, Morris D, Burke L, Singh NK, Venkateswaran K, Miliotis G. Medical Astro-Microbiology: Current Role and Future Challenges. J Indian Inst Sci 2023; 103:1-26. [PMID: 37362850 PMCID: PMC10082442 DOI: 10.1007/s41745-023-00360-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
The second and third decades of the twenty-first century are marked by a flourishing of space technology which may soon realise human aspirations of a permanent multiplanetary presence. The prevention, control and management of infection with microbial pathogens is likely to play a key role in how successful human space aspirations will become. This review considers the emerging field of medical astro-microbiology. It examines the current evidence regarding the risk of infection during spaceflight via host susceptibility, alterations to the host's microbiome as well as exposure to other crew members and spacecraft's microbiomes. It also considers the relevance of the hygiene hypothesis in this regard. It then reviews the current evidence related to infection risk associated with microbial adaptability in spaceflight conditions. There is a particular focus on the International Space Station (ISS), as one of the only two crewed objects in low Earth orbit. It discusses the effects of spaceflight related stressors on viruses and the infection risks associated with latent viral reactivation and increased viral shedding during spaceflight. It then examines the effects of the same stressors on bacteria, particularly in relation to changes in virulence and drug resistance. It also considers our current understanding of fungal adaptability in spaceflight. The global public health and environmental risks associated with a possible re-introduction to Earth of invasive species are also briefly discussed. Finally, this review examines the largely unknown microbiology and infection implications of celestial body habitation with an emphasis placed on Mars. Overall, this review summarises much of our current understanding of medical astro-microbiology and identifies significant knowledge gaps. Graphical Abstract
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca McDonagh
- Antimicrobial Resistance and Microbial Ecology Group, School of Medicine, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Martin Cormican
- Antimicrobial Resistance and Microbial Ecology Group, School of Medicine, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Galway University Hospitals, Galway, Ireland
| | - Dearbháile Morris
- Antimicrobial Resistance and Microbial Ecology Group, School of Medicine, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Liam Burke
- Antimicrobial Resistance and Microbial Ecology Group, School of Medicine, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Nitin Kumar Singh
- Biotechnology and Planetary Protection Group, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA USA
| | - Kasthuri Venkateswaran
- Biotechnology and Planetary Protection Group, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA USA
| | - Georgios Miliotis
- Antimicrobial Resistance and Microbial Ecology Group, School of Medicine, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
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Islam F, Amer Ali Y, Imran A, Afzaal M, Zahra SM, Fatima M, Saeed F, Usman I, Shehzadi U, Mehta S, Shah MA. Vegetable proteins as encapsulating agents: Recent updates and future perspectives. Food Sci Nutr 2023; 11:1705-1717. [PMID: 37051354 PMCID: PMC10084973 DOI: 10.1002/fsn3.3234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 01/02/2023] [Accepted: 01/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The use of proteinaceous material is desired as it forms a protective gelation around the active core, making it safe through temperature, pH, and O2 in the stomach and intestinal environment. During the boom of functional food utilization in this era of advancement in drug delivery systems, there is a dire need to find more protein sources that could be explored for the potential of being used as encapsulation materials, especially vegetable proteins. This review covers certain examples which need to be explored to form an encapsulation coating material, including soybeans (conglycinin and glycinin), peas (vicilin and convicilin), sunflower (helianthins and albumins), legumes (glutenins and albumins), and proteins from oats, rice, and wheat. This review covers recent interventions exploring the mentioned vegetable protein encapsulation and imminent projections in the shifting paradigm from conventional process to environmentally friendly green process technologies and the sensitivity of methods used for encapsulation. Vegetable proteins are easily biodegradable and so are the procedures of spray drying and coacervation, which have been discussed to prepare the desired encapsulated functional food. Coacervation processes are yet more promising in the case of particle size formation ranging from nano to several hundred microns. The present review emphasizes the significance of using vegetable proteins as capsule material, as well as the specificity of encapsulation methods in relation to vegetable protein sensitivity and the purpose of encapsulation accompanying recent interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fakhar Islam
- Department of Food Sciences Government College University Faisalabad Pakistan
| | - Yuosra Amer Ali
- Department of Food Sciences, College of Agriculture and Forestry University of Mosul Mosul Iraq
| | - Ali Imran
- Department of Food Sciences Government College University Faisalabad Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Afzaal
- Department of Food Sciences Government College University Faisalabad Pakistan
| | - Syeda Mahvish Zahra
- Department of Environmental Design, Health and Nutritional Sciences Allama Iqbal Open University Islamabad Pakistan
- Institute of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Sargodha Sargodha Pakistan
| | - Maleeha Fatima
- Department of Home Economics Government College University Faisalabad Pakistan
| | - Farhan Saeed
- Department of Food Sciences Government College University Faisalabad Pakistan
| | - Ifrah Usman
- Department of Food Sciences Government College University Faisalabad Pakistan
| | - Umber Shehzadi
- Department of Food Sciences, College of Agriculture and Forestry University of Mosul Mosul Iraq
| | - Shilpa Mehta
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering Auckland University of Technology Auckland New Zealand
| | - Mohd Asif Shah
- Adjunct Faculty University Center for Research & Development, Chandigarh University Mohali India
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Ermolaeva SA, Parfenov VA, Karalkin PA, Khesuani YD, Domnin PA. Experimentally Created Magnetic Force in Microbiological Space and On-Earth Studies: Perspectives and Restrictions. Cells 2023; 12:cells12020338. [PMID: 36672273 PMCID: PMC9856290 DOI: 10.3390/cells12020338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 01/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Magnetic force and gravity are two fundamental forces affecting all living organisms, including bacteria. On Earth, experimentally created magnetic force can be used to counterbalance gravity and place living organisms in conditions of magnetic levitation. Under conditions of microgravity, magnetic force becomes the only force that moves bacteria, providing an acceleration towards areas of the lowest magnetic field and locking cells in this area. In this review, we consider basic principles and experimental systems used to create a magnetic force strong enough to balance gravity. Further, we describe how magnetic levitation is applied in on-Earth microbiological studies. Next, we consider bacterial behavior under combined conditions of microgravity and magnetic force onboard a spacecraft. At last, we discuss restrictions on applications of magnetic force in microbiological studies and the impact of these restrictions on biotechnological applications under space and on-Earth conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Svetlana A. Ermolaeva
- Gamaleya National Research Centre for Epidemiology and Microbiology, 123098 Moscow, Russia
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +7-499-193-4375
| | - Vladislav A. Parfenov
- Institute of Metallurgy and Material Science, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119334 Moscow, Russia
- National Research Nuclear University MEPhI (Moscow Engineering Physics Institute), 115409 Moscow, Russia
| | - Pavel A. Karalkin
- Institute of Cluster Oncology, Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, 127473 Moscow, Russia
| | | | - Pavel A. Domnin
- Gamaleya National Research Centre for Epidemiology and Microbiology, 123098 Moscow, Russia
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23
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Gu R, Liu H, Hu M, Zhu Y, Liu X, Wang F, Wu L, Song D, Liu Y. D-Mannose prevents bone loss under weightlessness. J Transl Med 2023; 21:8. [PMID: 36617569 PMCID: PMC9827691 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-022-03870-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Astronauts undergo significant microgravity-induced bone loss during space missions, which has become one of the three major medical problems hindering human's long-term space flight. A risk-free and antiresorptive drug is urgently needed to prevent bone loss during space missions. D-mannose is a natural C-2 epimer of D-glucose and is abundant in cranberries. This study aimed to investigate the protective effects and potential mechanisms of D-mannose against bone loss under weightlessness. METHODS The hind legs of tail-suspended (TS) rats were used to mimic weightlessness on Earth. Rats were administered D-mannose intragastrically. The osteoclastogenic and osteogenic capacity of D-mannose in vitro and in vivo was analyzed by micro-computed tomography, biomechanical assessment, bone histology, serum markers of bone metabolism, cell proliferation assay, quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and western blotting. RNA-seq transcriptomic analysis was performed to detect the underlying mechanisms of D-mannose in bone protection. RESULTS The TS rats showed lower bone mineral density (BMD) and poorer bone morphological indices. D-mannose could improve BMD in TS rats. D-mannose inhibited osteoclast proliferation and fusion in vitro, without apparent effects on osteoblasts. RNA-seq transcriptomic analysis showed that D-mannose administration significantly inhibited the cell fusion molecule dendritic cell-specific transmembrane protein (DC-STAMP) and two indispensable transcription factors for osteoclast fusion (c-Fos and nuclear factor of activated T cells 1 [NFATc1]). Finally, TS rats tended to experience dysuria-related urinary tract infections (UTIs), which were suppressed by treatment with D-mannose. CONCLUSION D-mannose protected against bone loss and UTIs in rats under weightlessness. The bone protective effects of D-mannose were mediated by inhibiting osteoclast cell fusion. Our findings provide a potential strategy to protect against bone loss and UTIs during space missions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ranli Gu
- grid.11135.370000 0001 2256 9319Department of Prosthodontics, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, National Engineering Laboratory for Digital and Material Technology of Stomatology, Beijing Key Laboratory of Digital Stomatology, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing, 100081 China
| | - Hao Liu
- grid.11135.370000 0001 2256 9319The Central Laboratory, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, National Engineering Laboratory for Digital and Material Technology of Stomatology, Beijing Key Laboratory of Digital Stomatology, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing, 100081 China
| | - Menglong Hu
- grid.11135.370000 0001 2256 9319Department of Prosthodontics, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, National Engineering Laboratory for Digital and Material Technology of Stomatology, Beijing Key Laboratory of Digital Stomatology, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing, 100081 China
| | - Yuan Zhu
- grid.11135.370000 0001 2256 9319Department of Prosthodontics, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, National Engineering Laboratory for Digital and Material Technology of Stomatology, Beijing Key Laboratory of Digital Stomatology, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing, 100081 China
| | - Xuenan Liu
- grid.11135.370000 0001 2256 9319Department of Prosthodontics, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, National Engineering Laboratory for Digital and Material Technology of Stomatology, Beijing Key Laboratory of Digital Stomatology, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing, 100081 China
| | - Feilong Wang
- grid.11135.370000 0001 2256 9319Department of Prosthodontics, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, National Engineering Laboratory for Digital and Material Technology of Stomatology, Beijing Key Laboratory of Digital Stomatology, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing, 100081 China
| | - Likun Wu
- grid.11135.370000 0001 2256 9319Department of Prosthodontics, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, National Engineering Laboratory for Digital and Material Technology of Stomatology, Beijing Key Laboratory of Digital Stomatology, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing, 100081 China
| | - Danyang Song
- grid.11135.370000 0001 2256 9319Department of Prosthodontics, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, National Engineering Laboratory for Digital and Material Technology of Stomatology, Beijing Key Laboratory of Digital Stomatology, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing, 100081 China
| | - Yunsong Liu
- grid.11135.370000 0001 2256 9319Department of Prosthodontics, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, National Engineering Laboratory for Digital and Material Technology of Stomatology, Beijing Key Laboratory of Digital Stomatology, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing, 100081 China
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Vélez Justiniano YA, Goeres DM, Sandvik EL, Kjellerup BV, Sysoeva TA, Harris JS, Warnat S, McGlennen M, Foreman CM, Yang J, Li W, Cassilly CD, Lott K, HerrNeckar LE. Mitigation and use of biofilms in space for the benefit of human space exploration. Biofilm 2023; 5:100102. [PMID: 36660363 PMCID: PMC9843197 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioflm.2022.100102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Biofilms are self-organized communities of microorganisms that are encased in an extracellular polymeric matrix and often found attached to surfaces. Biofilms are widely present on Earth, often found in diverse and sometimes extreme environments. These microbial communities have been described as recalcitrant or protective when facing adversity and environmental exposures. On the International Space Station, biofilms were found in human-inhabited environments on a multitude of hardware surfaces. Moreover, studies have identified phenotypic and genetic changes in the microorganisms under microgravity conditions including changes in microbe surface colonization and pathogenicity traits. Lack of consistent research in microgravity-grown biofilms can lead to deficient understanding of altered microbial behavior in space. This could subsequently create problems in engineered systems or negatively impact human health on crewed spaceflights. It is especially relevant to long-term and remote space missions that will lack resupply and service. Conversely, biofilms are also known to benefit plant growth and are essential for human health (i.e., gut microbiome). Eventually, biofilms may be used to supply metabolic pathways that produce organic and inorganic components useful to sustaining life on celestial bodies beyond Earth. This article will explore what is currently known about biofilms in space and will identify gaps in the aerospace industry's knowledge that should be filled in order to mitigate or to leverage biofilms to the advantage of spaceflight.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yo-Ann Vélez Justiniano
- ECLSS Development Branch, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL, USA,Corresponding author.
| | - Darla M. Goeres
- The Center for Biofilm Engineering, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA,Chemical and Biological Engineering, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | | | - Birthe Veno Kjellerup
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Tatyana A. Sysoeva
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, AL, USA
| | - Jacob S. Harris
- Biomedical and Environmental Science Division, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Stephan Warnat
- The Center for Biofilm Engineering, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA,Mechanical Engineering, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Matthew McGlennen
- The Center for Biofilm Engineering, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA,Mechanical Engineering, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Christine M. Foreman
- The Center for Biofilm Engineering, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA,Chemical and Biological Engineering, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Jiseon Yang
- Biodesign Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Wenyan Li
- Laboratory Support Services and Operations (LASSO), NASA Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral, FL, USA
| | | | - Katelynn Lott
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, AL, USA
| | - Lauren E. HerrNeckar
- ECLSS Development Branch, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL, USA
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Gesztesi J, Broddrick JT, Lannin T, Lee JA. The chemical neighborhood of cells in a diffusion-limited system. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1155726. [PMID: 37143535 PMCID: PMC10151505 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1155726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Microorganisms follow us everywhere, and they will be essential to sustaining long-term human space exploration through applications such as vitamin synthesis, biomining, and more. Establishing a sustainable presence in space therefore requires that we better understand how stress due to the altered physical conditions of spaceflight affects our companion organisms. In microgravity environments such as orbital space stations, microorganisms likely experience the change in gravity primarily through changes in fluid mixing processes. Without sedimentation and density-driven convection, diffusion becomes the primary process governing the movement of growth substrates and wastes for microbial cells in suspension culture. Non-motile cells might therefore develop a substrate-deficient "zone of depletion" and experience stress due to starvation and/or waste build-up. This would in turn impact the concentration-dependent uptake rate of growth substrates and could be the cause of the altered growth rates previously observed in microorganisms in spaceflight and in ground-simulated microgravity. To better understand the extent of these concentration differences and their potential influence on substrate uptake rates, we used both an analytical solution and finite difference method to visualize concentration fields around individual cells. We modeled diffusion, using Fick's Second Law, and nutrient uptake, using Michaelis-Menten kinetics, and assessed how that distribution varies in systems with multiple cells and varied geometries. We determined the radius of the zone of depletion, within which cells had reduced the substrate concentration by 10%, to be 5.04 mm for an individual Escherichia coli cell in the conditions we simulated. However, we saw a synergistic effect with multiple cells near each other: multiple cells in close proximity decreased the surrounding concentration by almost 95% from the initial substrate concentration. Our calculations provide researchers an inside look at suspension culture behavior in the diffusion-limited environment of microgravity at the scale of individual cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliana Gesztesi
- NASA Ames Research Center, Universities Space Research Association, Moffett Field, CA, United States
- College of Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Jared T. Broddrick
- NASA Ames Research Center, Space Biosciences Research Branch, Moffett Field, CA, United States
| | - Timothy Lannin
- College of Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Jessica A. Lee
- NASA Ames Research Center, Space Biosciences Research Branch, Moffett Field, CA, United States
- *Correspondence: Jessica A. Lee,
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Yuan L, Zhang R, Li X, Gao C, Hu X, Hussain S, Zhang L, Wang M, Ma X, Pan Q, Lou X, Si S. Long-term simulated microgravity alters gut microbiota and metabolome in mice. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1100747. [PMID: 37032862 PMCID: PMC10080065 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1100747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Spaceflight and microgravity has a significant impact on the immune, central nervous, bone, and muscle support and cardiovascular systems. However, limited studies are available on the adverse effects of long-term microgravity on the intestinal microbiota, metabolism, and its relationships. In this study, a ground-based simulated microgravity (SMG) mouse model was established to evaluate the impact of long-term microgravity on gut microbiota and metabolome. After 8 weeks of SMG, alterations of the intestinal microbiota and metabolites were detected using 16S rRNA sequencing and untargeted metabolomics. Compared to the control, no significant differences in α-diversity were observed at weeks 2, 4 and 8. Nevertheless, there were clear differences in community structures at different time points. The phylum Verrucomicrobia significantly declined from 2 to 8 weeks of SMG, yet the relative abundance of Actinobacteria and Deferribacteres expanded remarkably at weeks 8. SMG decreased the genus of Allobaculum and increased Bacteroides significantly throughout the period of 8 weeks. Besides, Genus Akkermansia, Gracilibacter, Prevotella, Odoribacter, Rothia, Sporosarcina, Gracilibacter, Clostridium, and Mucispirillum were identified as biomarkers for SMG group. Desulfovibrio_c21_c20, Akkermansia_muciniphila, and Ruminococcus_gnavus dropped at week 2, which tend to recover at week 4, except for Akkermansia_muciniphila. Bacteroides_uniformis and Faecalibacterium_prausnitzii declined significantly, while Ruminococcus_flavefaciens and Mucispirillum_schaedleri elevated at week 8. Furthermore, intestinal metabolome analysis showed that 129 were upregulated and 146 metabolites were downregulated in SMG. Long-term SMG most affected steroid hormone biosynthesis, tryptophan, cysteine, methionine, arginine, proline metabolism, and histidine metabolism. Correlated analysis suggested that the potential beneficial taxa Allobaculum, Akkermansia, and Faecalibacterium were negatively associated with tryptophan, histidine, arginine, and proline metabolism, but positively with steroid hormone biosynthesis. Yet Bacteroides, Lachnospiraceae_Clostridium, Rothia, Bilophila, and Coprococcus were positively correlated with arginine, proline, tryptophan, and histidine metabolism, while negatively associated with steroid hormone biosynthesis. These results suggest that Long-term SMG altered the community of intestinal microbiota, and then further disturbed intestinal metabolites and metabolic pathways, which have great potential to help understand and provide clues for revealing the mechanisms of long-term SMG involved diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Yuan
- Department of Medical Research, PLA Strategic Support Force Medical Center, Beijing, China
| | - Rong Zhang
- Department of Medical Research, PLA Strategic Support Force Medical Center, Beijing, China
| | - Xinlou Li
- Department of Medical Research, PLA Strategic Support Force Medical Center, Beijing, China
| | - Caiyun Gao
- Department of Medical Research, PLA Strategic Support Force Medical Center, Beijing, China
| | - Xiangnan Hu
- Department of Medical Research, PLA Strategic Support Force Medical Center, Beijing, China
| | - Safdar Hussain
- Center for Applied Molecular Biology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Linlin Zhang
- Department of Medical Research, PLA Strategic Support Force Medical Center, Beijing, China
| | - Moye Wang
- Department of Medical Research, PLA Strategic Support Force Medical Center, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoyu Ma
- Department of Medical Research, PLA Strategic Support Force Medical Center, Beijing, China
| | - Qiuxia Pan
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, PLA Strategic Support Force Medical Center, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaotong Lou
- Department of Medical Research, PLA Strategic Support Force Medical Center, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Xiaotong Lou,
| | - Shaoyan Si
- Department of Medical Research, PLA Strategic Support Force Medical Center, Beijing, China
- Shaoyan Si,
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Sun H, Zhou Q, Qiao P, Zhu D, Xin B, Wu B, Tang C. Short-term head-down bed rest microgravity simulation alters salivary microbiome in young healthy men. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:1056637. [PMID: 36439790 PMCID: PMC9684331 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1056637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Microgravity influences are prevalent during orbital flight and can adversely affect astronaut physiology. Notably, it may affect the physicochemical properties of saliva and the salivary microbial community. Therefore, this study simulates microgravity in space using a ground-based -6° head-down bed rest (HDBR) test to observe the effects of microgravity on oral salivary secretion function and the salivary microbiome. Sixteen healthy young male volunteers were recruited for the 15-day -6° HDBR test. Non-stimulated whole saliva was collected on day 1 (pre-HDBR), on days 5, 10, and 15 of HDBR, and day 6 of recovery. Salivary pH and salivary flow rate were measured, and the V3-V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene was sequenced and analyzed in 80 saliva samples. The results showed that there were no significant differences in salivary pH, salivary flow rate, and alpha diversity between any two time points. However, beta diversity analysis revealed significant differences between pre-HDBR and the other four time points. After HDBR, the relative abundances of Actinomyces, Parvimonas, Peptostreptococcus, Porphyromonas, Oribacterium, and Capnocytophaga increased significantly, whereas the relative abundances of Neisseria and Haemophilus decreased significantly. However, the relative abundances of Oribacterium and Capnocytophaga did not recover to the pre-HDBR level on day 6 of recovery. Network analysis revealed that the number of relationships between genera decreased, and the positive and negative correlations between genera changed in a complex manner after HDBR and did not reach their original levels on day 6 of recovery. PICRUSt analysis demonstrated that some gene functions of the salivary microbiome also changed after HDBR and remained significantly different from those before HDBR on day 6 of recovery. Collectively, 15 days of -6° HDBR had minimal effect on salivary secretion function but resulted in significant changes in the salivary microbiome, mainly manifested as an increase in oral disease-related bacteria and a decrease in oral health-related commensal bacteria. Further research is required to confirm these oral microbial changes and explore the underlying pathological mechanisms to determine the long-term effects on astronauts embarking on long-duration voyages to outer space.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Sun
- 306th Clinical College of PLA, The Fifth Clinical College, Anhui Medical University, Beijing, China
- Department of Stomatology, PLA Strategic Support Force Characteristic Medical Center, Beijing, China
| | - Qian Zhou
- 306th Clinical College of PLA, The Fifth Clinical College, Anhui Medical University, Beijing, China
- Department of Stomatology, PLA Strategic Support Force Characteristic Medical Center, Beijing, China
| | - Pengyan Qiao
- Department of Stomatology, PLA Strategic Support Force Characteristic Medical Center, Beijing, China
| | - Di Zhu
- 306th Clinical College of PLA, The Fifth Clinical College, Anhui Medical University, Beijing, China
- Department of Stomatology, PLA Strategic Support Force Characteristic Medical Center, Beijing, China
| | - Bingmu Xin
- Engineering Research Center of Human Circadian Rhythm and Sleep (Shenzhen), Space Science and Technology Institute (Shenzhen), Shenzhen, China
| | - Bin Wu
- China Astronaut Research and Training Center, Beijing, China
| | - Chuhua Tang
- 306th Clinical College of PLA, The Fifth Clinical College, Anhui Medical University, Beijing, China
- Department of Stomatology, PLA Strategic Support Force Characteristic Medical Center, Beijing, China
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28
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Wang J, Wang T, Zeng X, Wang S, Yu Z, Wei Y, Cai M, Chu XY, Chen YZ, Zhao Y. Database of space life investigations and bioinformatics of microbiology in extreme environments. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:1017773. [PMID: 36406421 PMCID: PMC9668873 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1017773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2022] [Indexed: 08/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Biological experiments performed in space crafts like space stations, space shuttles, and recoverable satellites has enabled extensive spaceflight life investigations (SLIs). In particular, SLIs have revealed distinguished space effects on microbial growth, survival, metabolite production, biofilm formation, virulence development and drug resistant mutations. These provide unique perspectives to ground-based microbiology and new opportunities for industrial pharmaceutical and metabolite productions. SLIs are with specialized experimental setups, analysis methods and research outcomes, which can be accessed by established databases National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Life Science Data Archive, Erasmus Experiment Archive, and NASA GeneLab. The increasing research across diverse fields may be better facilitated by databases of convenient search facilities and categorized presentation of comprehensive contents. We therefore developed the Space Life Investigation Database (SpaceLID) http://bidd.group/spacelid/, which collected SLIs from published academic papers. Currently, this database provides detailed menu search facilities and categorized contents about the studied phenomena, materials, experimental procedures, analysis methods, and research outcomes of 448 SLIs of 90 species (microbial, plant, animal, human), 81 foods and 106 pharmaceuticals, including 232 SLIs not covered by the established databases. The potential applications of SpaceLID are illustrated by the examples of published experimental design and bioinformatic analysis of spaceflight microbial phenomena.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junyong Wang
- Qian Xuesen Collaborative Research Center of Astrochemistry and Space Life Sciences, Institute of Drug Discovery Technology, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
| | - Tao Wang
- Qian Xuesen Collaborative Research Center of Astrochemistry and Space Life Sciences, Institute of Drug Discovery Technology, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
| | - Xian Zeng
- Department of Biological Medicines & Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Immunotherapeutics, Fudan University School of Pharmacy, Shanghai, China
| | - Shanshan Wang
- Qian Xuesen Collaborative Research Center of Astrochemistry and Space Life Sciences, Institute of Drug Discovery Technology, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
| | - Zijie Yu
- Qian Xuesen Collaborative Research Center of Astrochemistry and Space Life Sciences, Institute of Drug Discovery Technology, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
| | - Yiqi Wei
- Qian Xuesen Collaborative Research Center of Astrochemistry and Space Life Sciences, Institute of Drug Discovery Technology, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
| | - Mengna Cai
- Institute of Civil Design, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Xin-Yi Chu
- Qian Xuesen Collaborative Research Center of Astrochemistry and Space Life Sciences, Institute of Drug Discovery Technology, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
| | - Yu Zong Chen
- Qian Xuesen Collaborative Research Center of Astrochemistry and Space Life Sciences, Institute of Drug Discovery Technology, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
| | - Yufen Zhao
- Qian Xuesen Collaborative Research Center of Astrochemistry and Space Life Sciences, Institute of Drug Discovery Technology, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
- The Key Laboratory for Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, Department of Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
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Siems K, Runzheimer K, Rehm A, Schwengers O, Heidler von Heilborn D, Kaser L, Arndt F, Neidhöfer C, Mengel JP, Parcina M, Lipski A, Hain T, Moeller R. Phenotypic and genomic assessment of the potential threat of human spaceflight-relevant Staphylococcus capitis isolates under stress conditions. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:1007143. [PMID: 36406458 PMCID: PMC9669719 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1007143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 08/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous studies have reported that spaceflight specific conditions such as microgravity lead to changes in bacterial physiology and resistance behavior including increased expression of virulence factors, enhanced biofilm formation and decreased susceptibility to antibiotics. To assess if spaceflight induced physiological changes can manifest in human-associated bacteria, we compared three spaceflight relevant Staphylococcus capitis isolates (DSM 111179, ISS; DSM 31028, clean room; DSM 113836; artificial gravity bedrest study) with the type strain (DSM 20326T). We tested the three strains regarding growth, colony morphology, metabolism, fatty acid and polar lipid pattern, biofilm formation, susceptibility to antibiotics and survival in different stress conditions such as treatment with hydrogen peroxide, exposure to desiccation, and irradiation with X-rays and UV-C. Moreover, we sequenced, assembled, and analyzed the genomes of all four strains. Potential genetic determinants for phenotypic differences were investigated by comparative genomics. We found that all four strains show similar metabolic patterns and the same susceptibility to antibiotics. All four strains were considered resistant to fosfomycin. Physiological differences were mainly observed compared to the type strain and minor differences among the other three strains. The ISS isolate and the bedrest study isolate exhibit a strong delayed yellow pigmentation, which is absent in the other two strains. Pigments were extracted and analyzed by UV/Vis spectroscopy showing characteristic carotenoid spectra. The ISS isolate showed the highest growth rate as well as weighted average melting temperature (WAMT) of fatty acids (41.8°C) of all strains. The clean room isolate showed strongest biofilm formation and a high tolerance to desiccation. In general, all strains survived desiccation better in absence of oxygen. There were no differences among the strains regarding radiation tolerance. Phenotypic and genomic differences among the strains observed in this study are not inevitably indicating an increased virulence of the spaceflight isolate. However, the increased growth rate, higher WAMT and colony pigmentation of the spaceflight isolate are relevant phenotypes that require further research within the human spaceflight context. We conclude that combining genetic analysis with classical microbiological methods allows the detailed assessment of the potential threat of bacteria in highly regulated and extreme environments such as spaceflight environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Siems
- Department of Radiation Biology, Institute of Aerospace Medicine, German Aerospace Center (DLR), Cologne, Germany
| | - Katharina Runzheimer
- Department of Radiation Biology, Institute of Aerospace Medicine, German Aerospace Center (DLR), Cologne, Germany
| | - Anna Rehm
- Department of Radiation Biology, Institute of Aerospace Medicine, German Aerospace Center (DLR), Cologne, Germany
- Department of Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Oliver Schwengers
- Department of Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - David Heidler von Heilborn
- Institute of Nutritional and Food Sciences, Food Microbiology and Hygiene, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Liv Kaser
- Department of Radiation Biology, Institute of Aerospace Medicine, German Aerospace Center (DLR), Cologne, Germany
| | - Franca Arndt
- Department of Radiation Biology, Institute of Aerospace Medicine, German Aerospace Center (DLR), Cologne, Germany
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Claudio Neidhöfer
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Jan Philipp Mengel
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Marijo Parcina
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - André Lipski
- Institute of Nutritional and Food Sciences, Food Microbiology and Hygiene, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Torsten Hain
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Justus Liebig University Giessen, Partner Site Giessen-Marburg-Langen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Ralf Moeller
- Department of Radiation Biology, Institute of Aerospace Medicine, German Aerospace Center (DLR), Cologne, Germany
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Allen LA, Kalani AH, Estante F, Rosengren AJ, Stodieck L, Klaus D, Zea L. Simulated Micro-, Lunar, and Martian Gravities on Earth—Effects on Escherichia coli Growth, Phenotype, and Sensitivity to Antibiotics. Life (Basel) 2022; 12:1399. [PMID: 36143436 PMCID: PMC9502502 DOI: 10.3390/life12091399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Revised: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial behavior has been studied under microgravity conditions, but very little is known about it under lunar and Martian gravitational regimes. An Earth-based approach was designed and implemented using inclined clinostats and an in-house-developed code to determine the optimal clinorotation angular speed for bacterial liquid cultures of 5 RPM. With this setup, growth dynamics, phenotypic changes, and sensitivity to antibiotics (minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of two different classes of antibiotics) for three Escherichia coli strains (including uropathogenic) were examined under simulated micro-, lunar, and Martian gravities. The results included increased growth under simulated micro- and lunar gravities for some strains, and higher concentrations of antibiotics needed under simulated lunar gravity with respect to simulated micro- and Martian gravities. Clinostat-produced results can be considered suggestive but not determinative of what might be expected in altered gravity, as there is still a need to systematically verify these simulation devices’ ability to accurately replicate phenomena observed in space. Nevertheless, this approach serves as a baseline to start interrogating key cellular and molecular aspects relevant to microbial processes on the lunar and Martian surfaces.
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31
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Zhu A, Stone J. Bearing Extremes: Impacts from Simulated Outer Space Conditions and Effective Ultraviolet Radiation Shielding Materials on Tardigrade Life History. Health Phys 2022; 123:238-244. [PMID: 35613371 DOI: 10.1097/hp.0000000000001585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Questions about astrobiological resilience, whether entities with evolutionary histories on Earth would survive in outer space or on distant planets, for instance, no longer reside exclusively in the science fiction realm. In this study, we assess life history characteristics for individuals in the tardigrade species Grevenius annulatus post exposure to simulated outer space conditions with nonionizing radiation as a proxy for anticipated oxidative stress and damage incurred from exposure to full-spectrum environmental radiation. Using a planetary environment simulator, we exposed unshielded and shielded specimens to UVB and UVC radiation for 30 min and monitored and recorded subsequent life history characteristics. Survivorship was lower in an unshielded group relative to control as well as Kevlar and polyethylene shielded groups, demonstrating that Kevlar and polyethylene reduce impact from these types of nonionizing radiation, which are not expected to fully penetrate the shields. Cumulative egg production was lowest in the unshielded group, but egg viability and average egg production rate was highest. Due to insignificant differences, additional research to determine the relative effectiveness for Kevlar and polyethylene as shielding materials from survivorship and reproduction perspectives is warranted. This work provides a progressive step from which important conditions excluded in the current study, like vibrations, temperatures, debris-impacts, and ionizing radiation, can be included in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy Zhu
- Department of Biology and Origins Institute, McMaster University Hamilton ON L8S 4K1 Canada
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32
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Madrigal P, Singh NK, Wood JM, Gaudioso E, Hernández-Del-Olmo F, Mason CE, Venkateswaran K, Beheshti A. Machine learning algorithm to characterize antimicrobial resistance associated with the International Space Station surface microbiome. Microbiome 2022; 10:134. [PMID: 35999570 PMCID: PMC9400218 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-022-01332-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has a detrimental impact on human health on Earth and it is equally concerning in other environments such as space habitat due to microgravity, radiation and confinement, especially for long-distance space travel. The International Space Station (ISS) is ideal for investigating microbial diversity and virulence associated with spaceflight. The shotgun metagenomics data of the ISS generated during the Microbial Tracking-1 (MT-1) project and resulting metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) across three flights in eight different locations during 12 months were used in this study. The objective of this study was to identify the AMR genes associated with whole genomes of 226 cultivable strains, 21 shotgun metagenome sequences, and 24 MAGs retrieved from the ISS environmental samples that were treated with propidium monoazide (PMA; viable microbes). RESULTS We have analyzed the data using a deep learning model, allowing us to go beyond traditional cut-offs based only on high DNA sequence similarity and extending the catalog of AMR genes. Our results in PMA treated samples revealed AMR dominance in the last flight for Kalamiella piersonii, a bacteria related to urinary tract infection in humans. The analysis of 226 pure strains isolated from the MT-1 project revealed hundreds of antibiotic resistance genes from many isolates, including two top-ranking species that corresponded to strains of Enterobacter bugandensis and Bacillus cereus. Computational predictions were experimentally validated by antibiotic resistance profiles in these two species, showing a high degree of concordance. Specifically, disc assay data confirmed the high resistance of these two pathogens to various beta-lactam antibiotics. CONCLUSION Overall, our computational predictions and validation analyses demonstrate the advantages of machine learning to uncover concealed AMR determinants in metagenomics datasets, expanding the understanding of the ISS environmental microbiomes and their pathogenic potential in humans. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Madrigal
- Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Puddicombe Way, Cambridge, CB2 0AW, UK.
- Present Address: European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, EMBL-EBI, Hinxton, CB10 1SD, UK.
| | - Nitin K Singh
- Biotechnology and Planetary Protection Group, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 91109, USA
| | - Jason M Wood
- Biotechnology and Planetary Protection Group, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 91109, USA
| | - Elena Gaudioso
- Department of Artificial Intelligence, Computer Science School, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED), 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Félix Hernández-Del-Olmo
- Department of Artificial Intelligence, Computer Science School, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED), 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Christopher E Mason
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA
- The HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Alsaud Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA
- The WorldQuant Initiative for Quantitative Prediction, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA
- The Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Kasthuri Venkateswaran
- Biotechnology and Planetary Protection Group, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 91109, USA
| | - Afshin Beheshti
- KBR, Space Biosciences Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA, 94035, USA
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
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Abstract
Scientists from around the world are studying the effects of microgravity and cosmic radiation via the "off-Earth" International Space Station (ISS) laboratory platform. The ISS has helped scientists make discoveries that go beyond the basic understanding of Earth. Over 300 medical experiments have been performed to date, with the goal of extending the knowledge gained for the benefit of humanity. This paper gives an overview of these numerous space medical findings, critically identifies challenges and gaps, and puts the achievements into perspective toward long-term space traveling and also adding benefits to our home planet. The medical contents are trifold structured, starting with the well-being of space travelers (astronaut health studies), followed by medical formulation research under space conditions, and then concluding with a blueprint for space pharmaceutical manufacturing. The review covers essential elements of our Earth-based pharmaceutical research such as drug discovery, drug and formulation stability, drug-organ interaction, drug disintegration/bioavailability/pharmacokinetics, pathogen virulence, genome mutation, and body's resistance. The information compiles clinical, medicinal, biological, and chemical research as well as fundamentals and practical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quy Don Tran
- School
of Chemical Engineering and Advanced Materials, University of Adelaide, Adelaide 5005, Australia
- Andy
Thomas Centre for Space Resources, University
of Adelaide, Adelaide 5005, Australia
| | - Vienna Tran
- Adelaide
Medical School, University of Adelaide, Adelaide 5005, Australia
| | - Li Shean Toh
- Faculty
of Science, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, United Kingdom
| | - Philip M. Williams
- Faculty
of Science, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, United Kingdom
| | - Nam Nghiep Tran
- School
of Chemical Engineering and Advanced Materials, University of Adelaide, Adelaide 5005, Australia
- Andy
Thomas Centre for Space Resources, University
of Adelaide, Adelaide 5005, Australia
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, Can Tho University, Can Tho 900000, Vietnam
| | - Volker Hessel
- School
of Chemical Engineering and Advanced Materials, University of Adelaide, Adelaide 5005, Australia
- Andy
Thomas Centre for Space Resources, University
of Adelaide, Adelaide 5005, Australia
- School of
Engineering, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, United Kingdom
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Abstract
The absence of strong buoyancy forces severely complicates the management of multiphase flows in microgravity. Different types of space systems, ranging from in-space propulsion to life support, are negatively impacted by this effect. Multiple approaches have been developed to achieve phase separation in microgravity, whereas they usually lack the robustness, efficiency, or stability that is desirable in most applications. Complementary to existing methods, the use of magnetic polarization has been recently proposed to passively induce phase separation in electrolytic cells and other two-phase flow devices. This article illustrates the dia- and paramagnetic phase separation mechanism on MilliQ water, an aqueous MnSO4 solution, lysogeny broth, and olive oil using air bubbles in a series of drop tower experiments. Expressions for the magnetic terminal bubble velocity are derived and validated and several wall–bubble and multi-bubble magnetic interactions are reported. Ultimately, the analysis demonstrates the feasibility of the dia- and paramagnetic phase separation approach, providing a key advancement for the development of future space systems.
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Lemelle L, Rouquette S, Mottin E, Le Tourneau D, Marcoux PR, Thévenot C, Maillet A, Nonglaton G, Place C. Passive limitation of surface contamination by perFluoroDecylTrichloroSilane coatings in the ISS during the MATISS experiments. NPJ Microgravity 2022; 8:31. [PMID: 35927552 DOI: 10.1038/s41526-022-00218-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Future long-duration human spaceflight will require developments to limit biocontamination of surface habitats. The MATISS (Microbial Aerosol Tethering on Innovative Surfaces in the international Space Station) experiments allowed for exposing surface treatments in the ISS (International Space Station) using a sample-holder developed to this end. Three campaigns of FDTS (perFluoroDecylTrichloroSilane) surface exposures were performed over monthly durations during distinct periods. Tile scanning optical microscopy (×3 and ×30 magnifications) showed a relatively clean environment with a few particles on the surface (0.8 to 7 particles per mm2). The varied densities and shapes in the coarse area fraction (50-1500 µm2) indicated different sources of contamination in the long term, while the bacteriomorph shapes of the fine area fraction (0.5-15 µm2) were consistent with microbial contamination. The surface contamination rates correlate to astronauts' occupancy rates on board. Asymmetric particles density profiles formed throughout time along the air-flow. The higher density values were located near the flow entry for the coarse particles, while the opposite was the case for the fine particles, probably indicating the hydrophobic interaction of particles with the FDTS surface.
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Franco Meléndez K, Crenshaw K, Barrila J, Yang J, Gangaraju S, Davis RR, Forsyth RJ, Ott CM, Kader R, Curtiss R 3rd, Roland K, Nickerson CA. Role of RpoS in Regulating Stationary Phase Salmonella Typhimurium Pathogenesis-Related Stress Responses under Physiological Low Fluid Shear Force Conditions. mSphere 2022;:e0021022. [PMID: 35913142 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00210-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The discovery that biomechanical forces regulate microbial virulence was established with the finding that physiological low fluid shear (LFS) forces altered gene expression, stress responses, and virulence of the enteric pathogen Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium during the log phase. These log phase LFS-induced phenotypes were independent of the master stress response regulator, RpoS (σS). Given the central importance of RpoS in regulating stationary-phase stress responses of S. Typhimurium cultured under conventional shake flask and static conditions, we examined its role in stationary-phase cultures grown under physiological LFS. We constructed an isogenic rpoS mutant derivative of wild-type S. Typhimurium and compared the ability of these strains to survive in vitro pathogenesis-related stresses that mimic those encountered in the infected host and environment. We also compared the ability of these strains to colonize (adhere, invade, and survive within) human intestinal epithelial cell cultures. Unexpectedly, LFS-induced resistance of stationary-phase S. Typhimurium cultures to acid and bile salts stresses did not rely on RpoS. Likewise, RpoS was dispensable for stationary-phase LFS cultures to adhere to and survive within intestinal epithelial cells. In contrast, the resistance of these cultures to challenges of oxidative and thermal stresses, and their invasion into intestinal epithelial cells was influenced by RpoS. These findings expand our mechanistic understanding of how physiological fluid shear forces modulate stationary-phase S. Typhimurium physiology in unexpected ways and provide clues into microbial mechanobiology and nuances of Salmonella responses to microenvironmental niches in the infected host. IMPORTANCE Bacterial pathogens respond dynamically to a variety of stresses in the infected host, including physical forces of fluid flow (fluid shear) across their surfaces. While pathogens experience wide fluctuations in fluid shear during infection, little is known about how these forces regulate microbial pathogenesis. This is especially important for stationary-phase bacterial growth, which is a critical period to understand microbial resistance, survival, and infection potential, and is regulated in many bacteria by the general stationary-phase stress response protein RpoS. Here, we showed that, unlike conventional culture conditions, several stationary-phase Salmonella pathogenic stress responses were not impacted by RpoS when bacteria were cultured under fluid shear conditions relevant to those encountered in the intestine of the infected host. These findings offer new insight into how physiological fluid shear forces encountered by Salmonella during infection might impact pathogenic responses in unexpected ways that are relevant to their disease-causing ability.
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Cordero RJB, Dragotakes Q, Friello PJ, Casadevall A. Melanin protects Cryptococcus neoformans from spaceflight effects. Environ Microbiol Rep 2022; 14:679-685. [PMID: 35852045 PMCID: PMC9326845 DOI: 10.1111/1758-2229.13078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
As human activity in space continues to increase, understanding how biological assets respond to spaceflight conditions is becoming more important. Spaceflight conditions include exposure to ionizing radiation, microgravity, spacecraft vibrations and hypervelocity; all of which can affect the viability of biological organisms. Previous studies have shown that melanin-producing fungi are capable of surviving the vacuum of space and Mars-simulated conditions in Low Earth Orbit. This survival has been associated in part with the protective effects of melanin, but a comparison of fungal viability in the presence or absence of melanin following spaceflight has never been tested. In this study, we evaluated the protective effects of melanin by comparing the viability of melanized and non-melanized clones of Cryptococcus neoformans yeasts following a roundtrip to the International Space Station. Yeast colonies were placed inside two MixStix silicone tubes; one stayed on Earth and the other was transported inside for 29 days before returning to Earth. Post-flight analysis based on colony-forming unit numbers shows that melanized yeast viability was 50% higher than non-melanized yeasts, while no difference was observed between the Earth-bound control samples. The results suggest that fungal melanin could increase the lifespan of biological assets in space.
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Affiliation(s)
- Radames J. B. Cordero
- Molecular Microbiology and Immunology DepartmentJohns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public HealthBaltimoreMD21205USA
| | - Quigly Dragotakes
- Molecular Microbiology and Immunology DepartmentJohns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public HealthBaltimoreMD21205USA
| | | | - Arturo Casadevall
- Molecular Microbiology and Immunology DepartmentJohns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public HealthBaltimoreMD21205USA
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38
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Al KF, Chmiel JA, Stuivenberg GA, Reid G, Burton JP. Long-Duration Space Travel Support Must Consider Wider Influences to Conserve Microbiota Composition and Function. Life (Basel) 2022; 12:life12081163. [PMID: 36013342 PMCID: PMC9409767 DOI: 10.3390/life12081163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Revised: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
The microbiota is important for immune modulation, nutrient acquisition, vitamin production, and other aspects for long-term human health. Isolated model organisms can lose microbial diversity over time and humans are likely the same. Decreasing microbial diversity and the subsequent loss of function may accelerate disease progression on Earth, and to an even greater degree in space. For this reason, maintaining a healthy microbiome during spaceflight has recently garnered consideration. Diet, lifestyle, and consumption of beneficial microbes can shape the microbiota, but the replenishment we attain from environmental exposure to microbes is important too. Probiotics, prebiotics, fermented foods, fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), and other methods of microbiota modulation currently available may be of benefit for shorter trips, but may not be viable options to overcome the unique challenges faced in long-term space travel. Novel fermented food products with particular impact on gut health, immune modulation, and other space-targeted health outcomes are worthy of exploration. Further consideration of potential microbial replenishment to humans, including from environmental sources to maintain a healthy microbiome, may also be required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kait F. Al
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada; (K.F.A.); (J.A.C.); (G.A.S.); (G.R.)
| | - John A. Chmiel
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada; (K.F.A.); (J.A.C.); (G.A.S.); (G.R.)
| | - Gerrit A. Stuivenberg
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada; (K.F.A.); (J.A.C.); (G.A.S.); (G.R.)
| | - Gregor Reid
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada; (K.F.A.); (J.A.C.); (G.A.S.); (G.R.)
- Department of Surgery, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 4V2, Canada
- Lawson Health Research Institute, London, ON N6A 4V2, Canada
| | - Jeremy P. Burton
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada; (K.F.A.); (J.A.C.); (G.A.S.); (G.R.)
- Department of Surgery, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 4V2, Canada
- Lawson Health Research Institute, London, ON N6A 4V2, Canada
- Correspondence:
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Zhao X, Yu Y, Zhang X, Huang B, Xu C, Zhang B, Bai P, Liu C. Phenotypic, genomic, and transcriptomic changes in an Acinetobacter baumannii strain after spaceflight in China's Tiangong-2 space laboratory. Braz J Microbiol 2022. [PMID: 35763257 DOI: 10.1007/s42770-022-00772-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Acinetobacter baumannii is an opportunistic pathogen often found in patients with low immunity. It causes nosocomial infections, which are difficult to treat. This bacterium can rapidly mutate, developing resistance to antimicrobials and adapting to environmental stress, thereby increasing its survival. Understanding such adaptive mechanisms will be beneficial for controlling the spread of A. baumannii. Astrobiology studies have demonstrated that microbiomes from astronauts and manned spaceflight environments show resistance to stress and antibiotics. Astronauts also encounter low immunity during spaceflight missions. The extreme conditions of spaceflight provide a unique research platform for studying how opportunistic pathogens such as A. baumannii adapt to conditions such as microgravity and mutate during spaceflight. In this study, we compared phenotypic variations and analyzed genomic and transcriptomic variations in A. baumannii strains exposed to three different conditions: ST1 (64 days on Tiangong-2 space laboratory), GT1 (ground control), and Aba (original strain). Biofilm formation ability of the ST1 strain increased after 64 days of spaceflight. In addition, high-throughput sequencing revealed that some differentially expressed genes were upregulated in the ST1 strain compared to the GT1 strain. These results provide insights into the environmental adaptation of this widespread pathogen.
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Fernander MC, Parsons PK, Khaled B, Bradley A, Graves JL Jr, Thomas MD. Adaptation to simulated microgravity in Streptococcus mutans. NPJ Microgravity 2022; 8:17. [PMID: 35654802 DOI: 10.1038/s41526-022-00205-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Long-term space missions have shown an increased incidence of oral disease in astronauts’ and as a result, are one of the top conditions predicted to impact future missions. Here we set out to evaluate the adaptive response of Streptococcus mutans (etiological agent of dental caries) to simulated microgravity. This organism has been well studied on earth and treatment strategies are more predictable. Despite this, we are unsure how the bacterium will respond to the environmental stressors in space. We used experimental evolution for 100-days in high aspect ratio vessels followed by whole genome resequencing to evaluate this adaptive response. Our data shows that planktonic S. mutans did evolve variants in three genes (pknB, SMU_399 and SMU_1307c) that can be uniquely attributed to simulated microgravity populations. In addition, collection of data at multiple time points showed mutations in three additional genes (SMU_399, ptsH and rex) that were detected earlier in simulated microgravity populations than in the normal gravity controls, many of which are consistent with other studies. Comparison of virulence-related phenotypes between biological replicates from simulated microgravity and control orientation cultures generally showed few changes in antibiotic susceptibility, while acid tolerance and adhesion varied significantly between biological replicates and decreased as compared to the ancestral populations. Most importantly, our data shows the importance of a parallel normal gravity control, sequencing at multiple time points and the use of biological replicates for appropriate analysis of adaptation in simulated microgravity.
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Barrila J, Yang J, Franco Meléndez KP, Yang S, Buss K, Davis TJ, Aronow BJ, Bean HD, Davis RR, Forsyth RJ, Ott CM, Gangaraju S, Kang BY, Hanratty B, Nydam SD, Nauman EA, Kong W, Steel J, Nickerson CA. Spaceflight Analogue Culture Enhances the Host-Pathogen Interaction Between Salmonella and a 3-D Biomimetic Intestinal Co-Culture Model. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:705647. [PMID: 35711662 PMCID: PMC9195300 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.705647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Physical forces associated with spaceflight and spaceflight analogue culture regulate a wide range of physiological responses by both bacterial and mammalian cells that can impact infection. However, our mechanistic understanding of how these environments regulate host-pathogen interactions in humans is poorly understood. Using a spaceflight analogue low fluid shear culture system, we investigated the effect of Low Shear Modeled Microgravity (LSMMG) culture on the colonization of Salmonella Typhimurium in a 3-D biomimetic model of human colonic epithelium containing macrophages. RNA-seq profiling of stationary phase wild type and Δhfq mutant bacteria alone indicated that LSMMG culture induced global changes in gene expression in both strains and that the RNA binding protein Hfq played a significant role in regulating the transcriptional response of the pathogen to LSMMG culture. However, a core set of genes important for adhesion, invasion, and motility were commonly induced in both strains. LSMMG culture enhanced the colonization (adherence, invasion and intracellular survival) of Salmonella in this advanced model of intestinal epithelium using a mechanism that was independent of Hfq. Although S. Typhimurium Δhfq mutants are normally defective for invasion when grown as conventional shaking cultures, LSMMG conditions unexpectedly enabled high levels of colonization by an isogenic Δhfq mutant. In response to infection with either the wild type or mutant, host cells upregulated transcripts involved in inflammation, tissue remodeling, and wound healing during intracellular survival. Interestingly, infection by the Δhfq mutant led to fewer transcriptional differences between LSMMG- and control-infected host cells relative to infection with the wild type strain. This is the first study to investigate the effect of LSMMG culture on the interaction between S. Typhimurium and a 3-D model of human intestinal tissue. These findings advance our understanding of how physical forces can impact the early stages of human enteric salmonellosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Barrila
- Biodesign Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
- *Correspondence: Jennifer Barrila, ; Cheryl A. Nickerson,
| | - Jiseon Yang
- Biodesign Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
| | - Karla P. Franco Meléndez
- Biodesign Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
- Genomics and Bioinformatics Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Shanshan Yang
- Bioinformatics Core Facility, Bioscience, Knowledge Enterprise, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
| | - Kristina Buss
- Bioinformatics Core Facility, Bioscience, Knowledge Enterprise, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
| | - Trenton J. Davis
- Biodesign Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
| | - Bruce J. Aronow
- Division of Biomedical Informatics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Heather D. Bean
- Biodesign Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
| | - Richard R. Davis
- Biodesign Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
| | - Rebecca J. Forsyth
- Biodesign Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
| | - C. Mark Ott
- Biomedical Research and Environmental Sciences Division, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Sandhya Gangaraju
- Biodesign Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
| | - Bianca Y. Kang
- Biodesign Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
| | - Brian Hanratty
- Bioinformatics Core Facility, Bioscience, Knowledge Enterprise, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
| | - Seth D. Nydam
- Department of Animal Care & Technologies, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
| | - Eric A. Nauman
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering and Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
| | - Wei Kong
- Biodesign Center for Immunotherapy, Vaccines and Virotherapy, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
| | - Jason Steel
- Bioinformatics Core Facility, Bioscience, Knowledge Enterprise, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
| | - Cheryl A. Nickerson
- Biodesign Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
- *Correspondence: Jennifer Barrila, ; Cheryl A. Nickerson,
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Zhang B, Bai P, Wang D. Growth Behavior and Transcriptome Profile Analysis of Proteus mirabilis Strain Under Long- versus Short-Term Simulated Microgravity Environment. Pol J Microbiol 2022; 71:161-171. [PMID: 35635525 PMCID: PMC9252141 DOI: 10.33073/pjm-2022-015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2021] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Spaceflight missions affect the behavior of microbes that are inevitably introduced into space environments and may impact astronauts’ health. Current studies have mainly focused on the biological characteristics and molecular mechanisms of microbes after short-term or long-term spaceflight, but few have compared the impact of various lengths of spaceflight missions on the characteristics of microbes. Researchers generally agree that microgravity (MG) is the most critical factor influencing microbial physiology in space capsules during flight missions. This study compared the growth behavior and transcriptome profile of Proteus mirabilis cells exposed to long-term simulated microgravity (SMG) with those exposed to short-term SMG. The results showed that long-term SMG decreased the growth rate, depressed biofilm formation ability, and affected several transcriptomic profiles, including stress response, membrane transportation, metal ion transportation, biological adhesion, carbohydrate metabolism, and lipid metabolism in contrast to short-term SMG. This study improved the understanding of long-term versus short-term SMG effects on P. mirabilis behavior and provided relevant references for analyzing the influence of P. mirabilis on astronaut health during spaceflights.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Zhang
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Binzhou Medical University Hospital , Binzhou , China
| | - Po Bai
- Respiratory Diseases Department, PLA Rocket Force Characteristic Medical Center , Beijing , China
| | - Dapeng Wang
- Respiratory Diseases Department, The Second Medical Center of PLA General Hospital , Beijing , China
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Gilbert R, Tanenbaum N, Bhattacharya S. Asparagine biosynthesis as a mechanism of increased host lethality induced by Serratia marcescens in simulated microgravity environments. Heliyon 2022; 8:e09379. [PMID: 35592661 PMCID: PMC9111996 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e09379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Revised: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
While studies have shown an increase in pathogenicity in several microbes during spaceflight and after exposure to simulated microgravity, the mechanisms underlying these changes in phenotype are not understood across different pathogens, particularly in opportunistic pathogens. This study evaluates the mechanism for increased virulence of the opportunistic gram-negative bacterium, Serratia marcescens, in simulated microgravity. Low-shear modeled microgravity (LSMMG) is used in ground-based studies to simulate the effects of microgravity as experienced in spaceflight. Our previous findings showed that there was a significant increase in mortality rates of the Drosophila melanogaster host when infected with either spaceflight or LSMMG treated S. marcescens. Here, we report that LSMMG increases asparagine uptake and synthesis in S. marcescens and that the increased host lethality induced by LSMMG bacteria grown in rich media can be recapitulated in minimal media by adding only aspartate and glutamine, the substrates of asparagine biosynthesis. Interestingly, increased bacterial growth rate alone is not sufficient to contribute to maximal host lethality, since the addition of aspartate to minimal media caused an LSMMG-specific increase in bacterial growth rate that is comparable to that induced by the combination of aspartate and glutamine, but this increase in growth does not cause an equivalent rate of host mortality. However, the addition of both aspartate and glutamine cause both an increase in host mortality and an overexpression of asparagine pathway genes in a LSMMG-dependent manner. We also report that L-asparaginase-mediated breakdown of asparagine is an effective countermeasure for the increased host mortality caused by LSMMG-treated bacteria. This investigation underscores the importance of the asparagine utilization pathway by helping uncover molecular mechanisms that underlie increased mortality rates of a model host infected with microgravity-treated S. marcescens and provides a potential mitigation strategy.
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Fais G, Manca A, Bolognesi F, Borselli M, Concas A, Busutti M, Broggi G, Sanna P, Castillo-Aleman YM, Rivero-Jiménez RA, Bencomo-Hernandez AA, Ventura-Carmenate Y, Altea M, Pantaleo A, Gabrielli G, Biglioli F, Cao G, Giannaccare G. Wide Range Applications of Spirulina: From Earth to Space Missions. Mar Drugs 2022; 20:md20050299. [PMID: 35621951 PMCID: PMC9143897 DOI: 10.3390/md20050299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Revised: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Spirulina is the most studied cyanobacterium species for both pharmacological applications and the food industry. The aim of the present review is to summarize the potential benefits of the use of Spirulina for improving healthcare both in space and on Earth. Regarding the first field of application, Spirulina could represent a new technology for the sustainment of long-duration manned missions to planets beyond the Lower Earth Orbit (e.g., Mars); furthermore, it could help astronauts stay healthy while exposed to a variety of stress factors that can have negative consequences even after years. As far as the second field of application, Spirulina could have an active role in various aspects of medicine, such as metabolism, oncology, ophthalmology, central and peripheral nervous systems, and nephrology. The recent findings of the capacity of Spirulina to improve stem cells mobility and to increase immune response have opened new intriguing scenarios in oncological and infectious diseases, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giacomo Fais
- Interdepartmental Centre of Environmental Science and Engineering (CINSA), University of Cagliari, Via San Giorgio 12, 09124 Cagliari, Italy; (G.F.); (A.C.); (G.C.)
| | - Alessia Manca
- Department of Biomedical Science, University of Sassari, Viale San Pietro 43/B, 07100 Sassari, Italy; (A.M.); (A.P.)
| | - Federico Bolognesi
- Unit of Maxillofacial Surgery, Head and Neck Department, ASST Santi Paolo e Carlo Hospital, University of Milan, Via Antonio di Rudinì 8, 20142 Milan, Italy; (F.B.); (F.B.)
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Via Zamboni 33, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Massimiliano Borselli
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Magna Grecia of Catanzaro, Viale Europa, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy;
| | - Alessandro Concas
- Interdepartmental Centre of Environmental Science and Engineering (CINSA), University of Cagliari, Via San Giorgio 12, 09124 Cagliari, Italy; (G.F.); (A.C.); (G.C.)
- Department of Mechanical, Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Cagliari, Via Marengo 2, 09123 Cagliari, Italy
| | - Marco Busutti
- Nephrology, Dialysis and Transplant Unit, IRCCS-Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria di Bologna, University of Bologna, Via Giuseppe Massarenti 9, 40138 Bologna, Italy;
| | - Giovanni Broggi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, University of Milan, Via Celoria 11, 20133 Milan, Italy;
- Columbus Clinic Center, Via Michelangelo Buonarroti 48, 20145 Milan, Italy
| | - Pierdanilo Sanna
- Abu Dhabi Stem Cells Center, Al Misaha Street, Rowdhat, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; (P.S.); (Y.M.C.-A.); (R.A.R.-J.); (A.A.B.-H.); (Y.V.-C.)
| | - Yandy Marx Castillo-Aleman
- Abu Dhabi Stem Cells Center, Al Misaha Street, Rowdhat, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; (P.S.); (Y.M.C.-A.); (R.A.R.-J.); (A.A.B.-H.); (Y.V.-C.)
| | - René Antonio Rivero-Jiménez
- Abu Dhabi Stem Cells Center, Al Misaha Street, Rowdhat, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; (P.S.); (Y.M.C.-A.); (R.A.R.-J.); (A.A.B.-H.); (Y.V.-C.)
| | - Antonio Alfonso Bencomo-Hernandez
- Abu Dhabi Stem Cells Center, Al Misaha Street, Rowdhat, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; (P.S.); (Y.M.C.-A.); (R.A.R.-J.); (A.A.B.-H.); (Y.V.-C.)
| | - Yendry Ventura-Carmenate
- Abu Dhabi Stem Cells Center, Al Misaha Street, Rowdhat, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; (P.S.); (Y.M.C.-A.); (R.A.R.-J.); (A.A.B.-H.); (Y.V.-C.)
| | - Michela Altea
- TOLO Green, Via San Damiano 2, 20122 Milan, Italy; (M.A.); (G.G.)
| | - Antonella Pantaleo
- Department of Biomedical Science, University of Sassari, Viale San Pietro 43/B, 07100 Sassari, Italy; (A.M.); (A.P.)
| | | | - Federico Biglioli
- Unit of Maxillofacial Surgery, Head and Neck Department, ASST Santi Paolo e Carlo Hospital, University of Milan, Via Antonio di Rudinì 8, 20142 Milan, Italy; (F.B.); (F.B.)
| | - Giacomo Cao
- Interdepartmental Centre of Environmental Science and Engineering (CINSA), University of Cagliari, Via San Giorgio 12, 09124 Cagliari, Italy; (G.F.); (A.C.); (G.C.)
- Department of Mechanical, Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Cagliari, Via Marengo 2, 09123 Cagliari, Italy
- Center for Advanced Studies, Research and Development in Sardinia (CRS4), Loc. Piscina Manna, Building 1, 09050 Pula, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Giannaccare
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Magna Grecia of Catanzaro, Viale Europa, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-3317186201
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Expect the unexpected in space microbiology. Nat Microbiol 2022; 7:465-6. [PMID: 35365794 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-022-01108-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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Kim H, Park B, Park H, Choi I, Rhee M. Low-shear modeled microgravity affects metabolic networks of Escherichia coli O157:H7 EDL933: Further insights into space-microbiology consequences. Food Res Int 2022; 154:111013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2022.111013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Revised: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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Tesei D, Jewczynko A, Lynch AM, Urbaniak C. Understanding the Complexities and Changes of the Astronaut Microbiome for Successful Long-Duration Space Missions. Life (Basel) 2022; 12:life12040495. [PMID: 35454986 PMCID: PMC9031868 DOI: 10.3390/life12040495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Revised: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
During space missions, astronauts are faced with a variety of challenges that are unique to spaceflight and that have been known to cause physiological changes in humans over a period of time. Several of these changes occur at the microbiome level, a complex ensemble of microbial communities residing in various anatomic sites of the human body, with a pivotal role in regulating the health and behavior of the host. The microbiome is essential for day-to-day physiological activities, and alterations in microbiome composition and function have been linked to various human diseases. For these reasons, understanding the impact of spaceflight and space conditions on the microbiome of astronauts is important to assess significant health risks that can emerge during long-term missions and to develop countermeasures. Here, we review various conditions that are caused by long-term space exploration and discuss the role of the microbiome in promoting or ameliorating these conditions, as well as space-related factors that impact microbiome composition. The topics explored pertain to microgravity, radiation, immunity, bone health, cognitive function, gender differences and pharmacomicrobiomics. Connections are made between the trifecta of spaceflight, the host and the microbiome, and the significance of these interactions for successful long-term space missions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donatella Tesei
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, 1190 Vienna, Austria;
| | - Anna Jewczynko
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada;
| | - Anne M. Lynch
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA;
- Graduate Program in Developmental Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Camilla Urbaniak
- ZIN Technologies Inc., Middleburg Heights, OH 44130, USA
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
- Correspondence:
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Domnin PA, Parfenov VA, Kononikhin AS, Petrov SV, Shevlyagina NV, Arkhipova AY, Koudan EV, Nezhurina EK, Brzhozovskiy AG, Bugrova AE, Moysenovich AM, Levin AA, Karalkin PA, Pereira FD, Zhukhovitsky VG, Lobakova ES, Mironov VA, Nikolaev EN, Khesuani YD, Ermolaeva SA. Combined Impact of Magnetic Force and Spaceflight Conditions on Escherichia Coli Physiology. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:1837. [PMID: 35163759 PMCID: PMC8836844 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23031837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Revised: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Changes in bacterial physiology caused by the combined action of the magnetic force and microgravity were studied in Escherichia coli grown using a specially developed device aboard the International Space Station. The morphology and metabolism of E. coli grown under spaceflight (SF) or combined spaceflight and magnetic force (SF + MF) conditions were compared with ground cultivated bacteria grown under standard (control) or magnetic force (MF) conditions. SF, SF + MF, and MF conditions provided the up-regulation of Ag43 auto-transporter and cell auto-aggregation. The magnetic force caused visible clustering of non-sedimenting bacteria that formed matrix-containing aggregates under SF + MF and MF conditions. Cell auto-aggregation was accompanied by up-regulation of glyoxylate shunt enzymes and Vitamin B12 transporter BtuB. Under SF and SF + MF but not MF conditions nutrition and oxygen limitations were manifested by the down-regulation of glycolysis and TCA enzymes and the up-regulation of methylglyoxal bypass. Bacteria grown under combined SF + MF conditions demonstrated superior up-regulation of enzymes of the methylglyoxal bypass and down-regulation of glycolysis and TCA enzymes compared to SF conditions, suggesting that the magnetic force strengthened the effects of microgravity on the bacterial metabolism. This strengthening appeared to be due to magnetic force-dependent bacterial clustering within a small volume that reinforced the effects of the microgravity-driven absence of convectional flows.
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Kumar R, Sood U, Kaur J, Anand S, Gupta V, Patil KS, Lal R. The rising dominance of microbiology: what to expect in the next 15 years? Microb Biotechnol 2022; 15:110-128. [PMID: 34713975 PMCID: PMC8719816 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.13953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
What microbiology beholds after a decade and a half in the future requires a vision based on the facts and ongoing trends in research and technological advancements. While the latter, assisted by microbial dark matter, presents a greater potential of creating an upsurge in in-situ and ex-situ rapid microbial detection techniques, this anticipated change will also set forth a revolution in microbial cultivation and diversity analyses. The availability of a microbial genetic toolbox at the expanse will help complement the current understanding of the microbiome and assist in real-time monitoring of the dynamics for detecting the health status of the host with utmost precision. Alongside, in light of the emerging infectious diseases, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and social demands for safer and better health care alternatives, microbiology laboratories are prospected to drift in terms of the volume and nature of research and outcomes. With today's microbiological lens, one can predict with certainty that in the years to come, microbes will play a significant role in therapeutic treatment and the designing of novel diagnostic techniques. Another area where the scope of microbial application seems to be promising is the use of novel probiotics as a method to offer health benefits whilst promoting metabolic outputs specific for microbiome replenishment. Nonetheless, the evolution of extraterrestrial microbes or the adaptation of earth microbes as extraterrestrial residents are also yet another prominent microbial event one may witness in the upcoming years. But like the two sides of the coin, there is also an urgent need to dampen the bloom of urbanization, overpopulation and global trade and adopting sustainable approaches to control the recurrence of epidemics and pandemics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roshan Kumar
- Post‐Graduate Department of ZoologyMagadh UniversityBodh GayaBihar824234India
| | - Utkarsh Sood
- The Energy and Resources InstituteDarbari Seth Block, IHC Complex, Lodhi RoadNew Delhi110003India
| | - Jasvinder Kaur
- Department of ZoologyGargi CollegeUniversity of DelhiSiri Fort RoadNew Delhi110049India
| | - Shailly Anand
- Department of ZoologyDeen Dayal Upadhyaya CollegeUniversity of DelhiDwarkaNew Delhi110078India
| | - Vipin Gupta
- Indira Paryavaran BhawanMinistry of Environment, Forest and Climate ChangeLodi ColonyNew Delhi110003India
| | - Kishor Sureshbhai Patil
- Department of Biological SciencesP. D. Patel Institute of Applied SciencesCharotar University of Science and Technology (CHARUSAT)ChangaGujarat388421India
| | - Rup Lal
- The Energy and Resources InstituteDarbari Seth Block, IHC Complex, Lodhi RoadNew Delhi110003India
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Moors KA, Ott E, Weckwerth W, Milojevic T. Proteomic Response of Deinococcus radiodurans to Short-Term Real Microgravity during Parabolic Flight Reveals Altered Abundance of Proteins Involved in Stress Response and Cell Envelope Functions. Life (Basel) 2021; 12:23. [PMID: 35054415 PMCID: PMC8779699 DOI: 10.3390/life12010023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2021] [Revised: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Rapidly evolving space exploration makes understanding the short- and long- term effects of microgravity on humans, plants, and microorganisms an important task. The ubiquitous presence of the gravitational force has had an influence on the development of all living entities on Earth, and short- and long-term changes in perceived gravitational force can induce notable changes within cells. Deinococcus radiodurans is the Gram-positive bacterium that is best known for its extreme resistance to UV-C and gamma radiation, oxidation stress, and desiccation. Thus increased interest has been placed on this species in the context of space research. The present study aims to elucidate the short-term proteomic response of this species to real microgravity during parabolic flight. Overnight cultures of D. radiodurans were subjected to microgravity during a single parabola, and metabolic activity was quenched using methanol. Proteins were extracted and subsequently measured using HPLC nESI MS/MS. The results, such as the enrichment of the peptidoglycan biosynthesis pathway with differentially abundant proteins and altered S-layer protein abundance, suggested molecular rearrangements in the cell envelope of D. radiodurans. Altered abundance of proteins involved in energy metabolism and DNA repair could be linked with increased endogenous ROS production that contributes to the stress response. Moreover, changes in protein abundance in response to microgravity show similarities with previously reported stress responses. Thus, the present results could be used to further investigate the complex regulation of the remarkable stress management of this bacterium.
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