How Microgravity Affects the Biology of Living Systems

281 Pages·2015·52.83 MB·English

BioMed Research International
How Microgravity Afects
the Biology of Living Systems
Guest Editors: Mariano Bizzarri, Monica Monici, and Jack J. W. A. van Loon
How Microgravity Affects the Biology of
Living Systems
BioMed Research International
How Microgravity Affects the Biology of
Living Systems
Guest Editors: Mariano Bizzarri, Monica Monici,
and Jack J. W. A. van Loon
Copyright © 2015 Hindawi Publishing Corporation. All rights reserved.
Tis is a special issue published in “BioMed Research International.” All articles are open access articles distributed under the Creative
Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original
work is properly cited.
Contents
HowMicrogravity Afects the Biology of Living Systems , Mariano Bizzarri, Monica Monici,
and Jack J. W. A. van Loon
Volume 2015, Article ID 863075, 4 pages
Simulated Microgravity: Critical Review on the Use of Random Positioning Machines for Mammalian
Cell Culture, Simon L. Wuest, Ste´phane Richard, Sascha Kopp, Daniela Grimm, and Marcel Egli
Volume 2015, Article ID 971474, 8 pages
Regulation of ICAM-1 in Cells of the Monocyte/Macrophage System in Microgravity, Katrin Paulsen,
Svantje Tauber, Claudia Dumrese, Gesine Bradacs, Dana M. Simmet, Nadine Go¨lz, Swantje Hauschild,
Christiane Raig, Stephanie Engeli, Annett Gutewort, Eva Hu¨rlimann, Josefne Biskup, Felix Unverdorben,
Gabriela Rieder, Daniel Hofma¨nner, Lisa Mutschler, Sonja Krammer, Isabell Buttron, Claudia Philpot,
Andreas Huge, Hartwin Lier, Ines Barz, Frank Engelmann, Liliana E. Layer, Cora S. Tiel, and Oliver Ullrich
Volume 2015, Article ID 538786, 18 pages
Genes Required for Survival in Microgravity Revealed by Genome-Wide Yeast Deletion Collections
Cultured during Spacefight, Corey Nislow, Anna Y. Lee, Patricia L. Allen, Guri Giaever, Andrew Smith,
Marinella Gebbia, Louis S. Stodieck, Jefrey S. Hammond, Holly H. Birdsall, and Timothy G. Hammond
Volume 2015, Article ID 976458, 10 pages
RhoGTPases as Key Players in Mammalian Cell Adaptation to Microgravity, Fiona Louis,
Christophe Deroanne, Betty Nusgens, Laurence Vico, and Alain Guignandon
Volume 2015, Article ID 747693, 17 pages
A Tissue Retrieval and Postharvest Processing Regimen for Rodent Reproductive Tissues Compatible
with Long-Term Storage on the International Space Station and Postfight Biospecimen Sharing
Program, Vijayalaxmi Gupta, Lesya Holets-Bondar, Katherine F. Roby, George Enders, and Joseph S. Tash
Volume 2015, Article ID 475935, 12 pages
Large Artery Remodeling and Dynamics following Simulated Microgravity by Prolonged Head-Down
Tilt Bed Rest in Humans, Carlo Palombo, Carmela Morizzo, Martino Baluci, Daniela Lucini, Stefano Ricci,
Gianni Biolo, Piero Tortoli, and Michaela Kozakova
Volume 2015, Article ID 342565, 7 pages
Space Flight Efects on Antioxidant Molecules in Dry Tardigrades:Te TARDIKISS Experiment,
Angela Maria Rizzo, Tiziana Altiero, Paola Antonia Corsetto, Gigliola Montorfano, Roberto Guidetti,
and Lorena Rebecchi
Volume 2015, Article ID 167642, 7 pages
Identifcation of Reference Genes in HumanMyelomonocytic Cells for Gene Expression Studies in
Altered Gravity, Cora S. Tiel, Swantje Hauschild, Svantje Tauber, Katrin Paulsen, Christiane Raig,
Arnold Raem, Josefne Biskup, Annett Gutewort, Eva Hu¨rlimann, Felix Unverdorben, Isabell Buttron,
Beatrice Lauber, Claudia Philpot, Hartwin Lier, Frank Engelmann, Liliana E. Layer, and Oliver Ullrich
Volume 2015, Article ID 363575, 20 pages
AWhole-GenomeMicroarray Study of Arabidopsis thaliana Semisolid Callus Cultures Exposed to
Microgravity and Nonmicrogravity Related Spacefight Conditions for 5 Days on Board of Shenzhou 8,
Svenja Fengler, Ina Spirer, Maren Neef, Margret Ecke, Kay Nieselt, and Ru¨diger Hampp
Volume 2015, Article ID 547495, 15 pages
RCCS Bioreactor-Based Modelled Microgravity Induces Signifcant Changes on In Vitro 3D Neuroglial
Cell Cultures, Caterina Morabito, Nathalie Steimberg, Giovanna Mazzoleni, Simone Guarnieri,
Giorgio Fano`-Illic, and Maria A. Mariggio`
Volume 2015, Article ID 754283, 14 pages
Te Impact of Microgravity and Hypergravity on Endothelial Cells, Jeanette A. M. Maier,
Francesca Cialdai, Monica Monici, and Lucia Morbidelli
Volume 2015, Article ID 434803, 13 pages
A Functional Interplay between 5-Lipoxygenase and 𝜇-Calpain Afects Survival and Cytokine Profle of
Human Jurkat T Lymphocyte Exposed to Simulated Microgravity, Valeria Gasperi, Cinzia Rapino,
Natalia Battista, Monica Bari, Nicolina Mastrangelo, Silvia Angeletti, Enrico Dainese, and Mauro
Maccarrone
Volume 2014, Article ID 782390, 10 pages
HowMicrogravity Changes Galectin-3 inTyroid Follicles, Elisabetta Albi, Francesco Curcio,
Andrea Lazzarini, Alessandro Floridi, Samuela Cataldi, Remo Lazzarini, Elisabetta Loreti, Ivana Ferri,
and Francesco Saverio Ambesi-Impiombato
Volume 2014, Article ID 652863, 5 pages
Te Infuence of Simulated Microgravity on Purinergic Signaling Is Diferent between Individual
Culture and Endothelial and Smooth Muscle Cell Coculture, Yu Zhang, Patrick Lau, Andreas Pansky,
Matthias Kassack, Ruth Hemmersbach, and Edda Tobiasch
Volume 2014, Article ID 413708, 11 pages
Human Locomotion under Reduced Gravity Conditions: Biomechanical and Neurophysiological
Considerations, Francesca Sylos-Labini, Francesco Lacquaniti, and Yuri P. Ivanenko
Volume 2014, Article ID 547242, 12 pages
Conditioned Media fromMicrovascular Endothelial Cells Cultured in Simulated Microgravity Inhibit
Osteoblast Activity, Alessandra Cazzaniga, Sara Castiglioni, and Jeanette A. M. Maier
Volume 2014, Article ID 857934, 9 pages
Phenotypic Switch Induced by Simulated Microgravity on MDA-MB-231 Breast Cancer Cells,
Maria Grazia Masiello, Alessandra Cucina, Sara Proietti, Alessandro Palombo, Pierpaolo Coluccia,
Fabrizio D’Anselmi, Simona Dinicola, Alessia Pasqualato, Veronica Morini, and Mariano Bizzarri
Volume 2014, Article ID 652434, 12 pages
Oxidative Stress and NO Signalling in the Root Apex as an Early Response to Changes in Gravity
Conditions, Sergio Mugnai, Camilla Pandolf, Elisa Masi, Elisa Azzarello, Emanuela Monetti,
Diego Comparini, Boris Voigt, Dieter Volkmann, and Stefano Mancuso
Volume 2014, Article ID 834134, 10 pages
Cytoskeleton Modifcations and Autophagy Induction in TCam-2 Seminoma Cells Exposed to
Simulated Microgravity, Francesca Ferranti, Maria Caruso, Marcella Cammarota, Maria Grazia Masiello,
Katia Corano Scheri, Cinzia Fabrizi, Lorenzo Fumagalli, Chiara Schiraldi, Alessandra Cucina,
Angela Catizone, and Giulia Ricci
Volume 2014, Article ID 904396, 14 pages
Gravity Afects the Closure of the Traps in Dionaea muscipula, Camilla Pandolf, Elisa Masi, Boris Voigt,
Sergio Mugnai, Dieter Volkmann, and Stefano Mancuso
Volume 2014, Article ID 964203, 5 pages
Te Impact of Simulated and Real Microgravity on Bone Cells and Mesenchymal Stem Cells,
Claudia Ulbrich, Markus Wehland, Jessica Pietsch, Ganna Aleshcheva, Petra Wise, Jack van Loon,
Nils Magnusson, Manfred Infanger, Jirka Grosse, Christoph Eilles, Alamelu Sundaresan, and Daniela Grimm
Volume 2014, Article ID 928507, 15 pages
Multisensory Integration and Internal Models for Sensing Gravity Efects in Primates,
Francesco Lacquaniti, Gianfranco Bosco, Silvio Gravano, Iole Indovina, Barbara La Scaleia, Vincenzo Mafei,
and Myrka Zago
Volume 2014, Article ID 615854, 10 pages
Integration Analysis of MicroRNA and mRNA Expression Profles in Human Peripheral Blood
Lymphocytes Cultured in Modeled Microgravity, C. Girardi, C. De Pitta`, S. Casara, E. Calura,
C. Romualdi, L. Celotti, and M. Mognato
Volume 2014, Article ID 296747, 16 pages
Hindawi Publishing Corporation
BioMed Research International
Volume 2015, Article ID 863075, 4 pages
http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/863075
Editorial
How Microgravity Affects the Biology of Living Systems
1 2 3
Mariano Bizzarri, Monica Monici, and Jack J. W. A. van Loon
1
Department of Experimental Medicine, Systems Biology Group, University La Sapienza, 00161 Rome, Italy
2
ASAcampus Joint Laboratory, ASA Research Division, Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, University of
Florence, 50121 Florence, Italy
3
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery/Oral Pathology, VU-University Medical Center, 1081 HZ Amsterdam, Netherlands
Correspondence should be addressed to Mariano Bizzarri;
2 BioMed Research International
near weightlessness may have a profound impact on living actin, microflaments, and microtubules [15, 16]. Disorga-
processes. Namely, it seems that genes involved in ROS nization of basic cellular architecture can afect activities
detoxifcation are especially impaired in such condition, ranging from cell signalling and migration to cell cycling and
as reported by the paper from S. Fengler et al., therefore apoptosis. In this issue, K. Paulsen and colleagues investigated
suggesting how relevant could be the role sustained by the how surface expression of ICAM-1 protein and expression
redox status in counteracting at least some downstream of ICAM-1 mRNA in cells of the monocyte/macrophage
consequences of microgravity. Yet, as reported in the article system change inmicrogravity. Given that ICAMproteins are
of S. Mugnai et al., both nitric oxide and ROS are likely to essential for cell-to-cell adhesion as well as for cytoskeleton
play a previously unrecognized role as messengers during the proper functioning, such results outline the involvement of
gravitropic response inmany root tips. Relevance of oxidative the cytoskeleton system in mediating at least some efects
processes during microgravity exposure was also reported by due to microgravity. Tat statement is further reinforced by
the study of A. M. Rizzo et al., in which a signifcant increase the paper from F. Louis et al. in which dramatic decrease
in oxidative stress has been observed in tardigrades exposed in RhoGTPases activity has been documented. RhoGTPases
to spacefight. represent a unique hub for integration of biochemical and
Cells may “sense” changes in the microgravitational feld mechanical signals. As such, they are probably very rapidly
through (a) an indirect mechanism (mainly based on the involved in a cell’s adaptation to microgravity-related con-
modifcation of physical properties of their microenviron- ditions. Additionally, RhoGTPases activity is tightly and
ment); (b) the development of specialized structures for mechanistically bound to alterations of the cytoskeleton,
the mechanical perception and transduction of gravitational adhesion, and fbrillogenesis as well as to an enhancement
forces (like the cytoskeleton); and (c) changes in the dynamics of ROS delivery. As a result, RhoGTPases may be considered
of enzymes kinetics or protein network self-assembly. It is true mechanosensitive switches responsible for cytoskeletal
worth noting that the latter two processes are dramatically dynamics and cells commitment. Relevant modifcation of
afected by nonequilibrium dynamics. Nonlinear dynamical the cytoskeleton architecture and microtubule organization
processes far from equilibrium involve an appropriate com- in testicular cells has been also reported in the study by
bination of reaction and difusion, and the pattern arising F. Ferranti et al., where a signifcant correlation between
from those interactions is tightly infuenced by evenminimal cytoskeleton abnormalities induced by simulated micrograv-
changes in reactant concentrations or modifcation in the ity and enhanced autophagy was recorded. Yet, cytoskeleton
strength of the morphogenetic feld [10]. Processes of this changes afect diferent cell types, including endothelial cells.
kind are called Turing or dissipative structures, given that a In the paper of J. Maier et al., it is shown that endothelial cells
consumption of energy is required to drive and maintain the are highly sensitive to gravitational stress, as microgravity
system far from equilibrium. Tat prerequisite is needed in leads to changes in the production and expression of vasoac-
order to allow the system to promptly change its confgura- tive and infammatory mediators and adhesion molecules,
tion, according to the system’s needs. In turn, the dissipative which mainly results from changes in the remodelling of the
energy provides the thermodynamic driving force for the cytoskeleton and the distribution of caveolae. In addition, by
self-organization processes. Some experimental evidence has keeping in mind that the cytoskeleton dynamics is a funda-
already been provided that change of the gravitational feld mental player in cell proliferation and migration, it is not
may signifcantly afect some nonlinear reactions occurring surprising that microgravity signifcantly afects the fytrap
within cells and tissues [11, 12]. Herein, a further confrmation closure, a process involving not only the actin dynamics but
is provided by the article of M. G. Masiello et al., in which also the ion channels and aquaporin activities, as evidenced
the near weightlessness condition is shown to drive the in the article from C. Pandolf et al.
systems towards diferent attractor states, thus enabling cells Cytoskeleton changes have also profound consequences
to acquire new and unexpected phenotypes in the course on both cell shape and tissue modelling. Simulated near
of a true phase transition [13]. According to such results, weightlessness in human volunteers is associated with a
gravity seems to be an “inescapable” constraint that obliges signifcant change in arterial geometry, fow, stifness, and
living beings to adopt only a few confgurations amongmany shear rate as documented by C. Palombo et al. Microgravity
others. By “removing” the gravitational feld, living structures is acting on endothelial cells also through modulation of P2-
will be free to recover more degrees of freedom, thus receptor and the release of several cytokines, as reported
acquiring new phenotypes and new functions/properties. by the study from Y. Zhang et al. Given that P2-receptor
Tat statement raises several crucial questions. Some of these artifcial ligands are applied as drugs, it is reasonable to
entail fundamentals of theoretical biology, as they question assume that they might be promising candidates against
the gene-centered paradigm, according to which biological the cardiovascular deconditioning the astronauts experience
behavior can be explained by solely genetic mechanisms [14]. during spacefight.
What are the mechanism(s) through which microgravity Overall the alterations occurring in microgravity have
may so profoundly modify cell function and structure? undoubtedly signifcant backwashes on the physiological
Several studies included in this issue deal with that topic, homeostasis of the whole organism. Such aspect is high-
calling into the question the pivotal role sustained by the lighted by two papers from the group of F. Lacquaniti et al.
cytoskeleton in mediating several microgravity-based efects. dealingwith the efects of nearweightlessness on nervous sys-
A common outcome in nearly all cell types exposed to tem function. Gravity is indeed crucial for spatial perception,
microgravity is indeed the alteration of cytoskeletal elements: postural equilibrium, and movement generation. Te brain
BioMed Research International 3
may deal with the gravitational feld by integrating a wide performing conditions of simulated near weightlessness and
array of diferent signals, thus enabling the system to trigger increased gravity.Tis is not a “one view fts all” approach. It is
the most appropriate response. F. Lacquaniti et al. provide rather one to “let a hundred fowers bloom.” Yet, they provide
compelling evidence that this ability depends on the fact that a fruitful overview on what is going to come from space
gravity efects are stored in brain regions which integrate biomedicine research. Overall, studies reported in the issue
visual, vestibular, and neck proprioceptive signals, where the demonstrated how relevant physical cues may be in shaping
nervous system combines this information with an internal biological phenotypes and function, infuencing so in depth
model of gravity efects. Te second study evidenced in molecular and genetic pathways. It is regrettable to notice
turn the benefcial efect of the neurophysiologic adaptation that such infuences have been for so long overlooked by
to near weightlessness and how knowledge acquired on the scientifcmainstream [20, 21]. Furthermore, microgravity
this feld may even enhance the development of innovative studies forced us to develop new technological solutions and
technologies for gait rehabilitation. more appropriate experimental models. Tereby, knowledge
Research on microgravity and hypergravity efectively gathered in space research has ofered an invaluable support
advances our knowledge on physiology and biochemistry, in understanding both human physiology and pathology,
thus providing valuable data and models for the understand- fostering technological innovation and the development of
ing for some important human diseases. Moreover, space- priceless medical and experimental devices.
based research has played and presumably will continuously Tis is why it has been argued that the ultimate reason for
play an important role in reformulating the theoretical human space exploration is precisely to enable us to discover
framework in biology and physiology and may serve as a ourselves. Undoubtedly, the microgravity and space related
novel paradigm for innovation. Namely, microgravity-related research present an unlimited horizon for investigation and
research fostered the development of new tools-like for discovery. Controlled studies conducted in microgravity can
culturing cells in three dimensions. It is now well understood advance our knowledge, providing amazing and unforeseen
that 3D growth environments that facilitate unrestricted cell- insights into the biological mechanism underlying physiol-
cell interactions are mandatory for defning the biology of ogy as well as many relevant diseases like cancer [22].
cancer cells and tissues, including tumour formation, tumour
microenvironment, and tumour progression [17, 18]. Indeed, Mariano Bizzarri
three-dimensional culture in real and simulatedmicrogravity Monica Monici
allows a more precise appreciation of the role the biophysical Jack J. W. A. van Loon
constraints play in shaping cell phenotypes and functions. In
turn, such devices may help in improving tissue-engineering
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