Cellular and Genetic Adaptation in Low-gravity Environments

Genetic response suites in human lymphocytes in response to microgravity are important to identify and study further to augment physiological adaptation to new milieus. Human peripheral blood from normal donors was used to isolate peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Blood traverses through most organs and hence is a suitable overall physiological predictor. The cells were cultured in 1g (T flask) and modeled microgravity for 24 and 72 h. Cell samples were collected and subjected to gene array analysis. Data were collected and subjected to a two-way analysis of variance. Different groups of genes related to the immune response, cardiovascular system, and stress response were then analyzed. These three groups focused on human adaptation to new environments. Many molecules related to T cell activation and second messengers, located both in the cell membrane and cytoplasm, were significantly altered (positive or negative regulation) in modeled microgravity. Cardiovascular biomarker expression and stress response gene expression also presented an aberrant response in analog microgravity. Previous findings in our laboratory showed lymphocyte activation and locomotion to be significantly suppressed in microgravity. Further analysis at the protein levels of genes involved in these responses could lead to development of prophylactic and countermeasure steps to augment human physiology for long-term space travel. Detailed results from the genetic analyses are presented in this study, including differential responses in stress response genes, cardiovascular and atherogenic genes, and T cell activation genes.