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Special Issue "New insights into Microgravity and Space Biology"

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A special issue of Cells (ISSN 2073-4409).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 July 2023 | Viewed by 6161

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Dr. Maria A. Mariggiò

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Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, University “G. d’Annunzio” of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy
Interests: neuronal and skeletal muscle cells differentiation; intracellular Ca²⁺ dynamics; oxidative stress; live cell imaging; biomaterials; space biology
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue, "New insights into Microgravity and Space Biology" collects original research articles, reviews, and short communications, aiming 1. to collect the most recent findings on microgravity-induced effects on cells; 2. to highlight possible strategies to protect against the space environment; 3. to discuss possible limits and advantages of experimental approaches (e.g., real or simulated microgravity); and 4. to review the present knowledge of space biology in different cell types (prokaryotes and eukaryotes, animals, and plants).

Dr. Maria A. Mariggiò
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Cells is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

cell gravity sensing
cell shape, cytoskeleton, adhesion
microgravity-induced gene expression and regulation
cell metabolism, oxidative balance, oxidative stress
cell proliferation, differentiation, adaptation under microgravity
eukaryotic and prokaryotic behavior at microgravity
control of miRNA expression under microgravity
epigenetics and microgravity
cell sprouting in microgravity
microgravity-induced alteration in plants
space exploration, real microgravity, and technological opportunities
experimental models: microgravity simulators and biological models
cell bioreactor development for space laboratories

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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Open AccessArticle

Hypergravity Increases Blood–Brain Barrier Permeability to Fluorescent Dextran and Antisense Oligonucleotide in Mice

David Dubayle

Arnaud Vanden-Bossche

Tom Peixoto

and

Jean-Luc Morel

Cells 2023, 12(5), 734; https://doi.org/10.3390/cells12050734 - 24 Feb 2023

Viewed by 740

Abstract

The earliest effect of spaceflight is an alteration in vestibular function due to microgravity. Hypergravity exposure induced by centrifugation is also able to provoke motion sickness. The blood–brain barrier (BBB) is the crucial interface between the vascular system and the brain to ensure efficient neuronal activity. We developed experimental protocols of hypergravity on C57Bl/6JRJ mice to induce motion sickness and reveal its effects on the BBB. Mice were centrifuged at 2× g for 24 h. Fluorescent dextrans with different sizes (40, 70 and 150 kDa) and fluorescent antisense oligonucleotides (AS) were injected into mice retro-orbitally. The presence of fluorescent molecules was revealed by epifluorescence and confocal microscopies in brain slices. Gene expression was evaluated by RT-qPCR from brain extracts. Only the 70 kDa dextran and AS were detected in the parenchyma of several brain regions, suggesting an alteration in the BBB. Moreover, Ctnnd1, Gja4 and Actn1 were upregulated, whereas Jup, Tjp2, Gja1, Actn2, Actn4, Cdh2 and Ocln genes were downregulated, specifically suggesting a dysregulation in the tight junctions of endothelial cells forming the BBB. Our results confirm the alteration in the BBB after a short period of hypergravity exposure. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New insights into Microgravity and Space Biology)

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Open AccessArticle

Role of SIRT3 in Microgravity Response: A New Player in Muscle Tissue Recovery

Lavinia Vittoria Lotti

and

Cells 2023, 12(5), 691; https://doi.org/10.3390/cells12050691 - 22 Feb 2023

Viewed by 767

Abstract

Life on Earth has evolved in the presence of a gravity constraint. Any change in the value of such a constraint has important physiological effects. Gravity reduction (microgravity) alters the performance of muscle, bone and, immune systems among others. Therefore, countermeasures to limit such deleterious effects of microgravity are needed considering future Lunar and Martian missions. Our study aims to demonstrate that the activation of mitochondrial Sirtuin 3 (SIRT3) can be exploited to reduce muscle damage and to maintain muscle differentiation following microgravity exposure. To this effect, we used a RCCS machine to simulate microgravity on ground on a muscle and cardiac cell line. During microgravity, cells were treated with a newly synthesized SIRT3 activator, called MC2791 and vitality, differentiation, ROS and, autophagy/mitophagy were measured. Our results indicate that SIRT3 activation reduces microgravity-induced cell death while maintaining the expression of muscle cell differentiation markers. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that SIRT3 activation could represent a targeted molecular strategy to reduce muscle tissue damage caused by microgravity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New insights into Microgravity and Space Biology)

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Open AccessArticle

The Effects of Combined Exposure to Simulated Microgravity, Ionizing Radiation, and Cortisol on the In Vitro Wound Healing Process

Cells 2023, 12(2), 246; https://doi.org/10.3390/cells12020246 - 07 Jan 2023

Viewed by 1063

Abstract

Human spaceflight is associated with several health-related issues as a result of long-term exposure to microgravity, ionizing radiation, and higher levels of psychological stress. Frequent reported skin problems in space include rashes, itches, and a delayed wound healing. Access to space is restricted by financial and logistical issues; as a consequence, experimental sample sizes are often small, which limits the generalization of the results. Earth-based simulation models can be used to investigate cellular responses as a result of exposure to certain spaceflight stressors. Here, we describe the development of an in vitro model of the simulated spaceflight environment, which we used to investigate the combined effect of simulated microgravity using the random positioning machine (RPM), ionizing radiation, and stress hormones on the wound-healing capacity of human dermal fibroblasts. Fibroblasts were exposed to cortisol, after which they were irradiated with different radiation qualities (including X-rays, protons, carbon ions, and iron ions) followed by exposure to simulated microgravity using a random positioning machine (RPM). Data related to the inflammatory, proliferation, and remodeling phase of wound healing has been collected. Results show that spaceflight stressors can interfere with the wound healing process at any phase. Moreover, several interactions between the different spaceflight stressors were found. This highlights the complexity that needs to be taken into account when studying the effect of spaceflight stressors on certain biological processes and for the aim of countermeasures development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New insights into Microgravity and Space Biology)

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Open AccessCommunication

Drosophila melanogaster Oocytes after Space Flight: The Early Period of Adaptation to the Force of Gravity

and

Cells 2022, 11(23), 3871; https://doi.org/10.3390/cells11233871 - 01 Dec 2022

Viewed by 680

Abstract

The effect of space flight factors and the subsequent adaptation to the Earth’s gravity on oocytes is still poorly understood. Studies of mammalian oocytes in space present significant technical difficulties; therefore, the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster is a convenient test subject. In this study, we analyzed the structure of the oocytes of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, the maturation of which took place under space flight conditions (the “Cytomehanarium” experiment on the Russian Segment of the ISS during the ISS-67 expedition). The collection of the oocytes began immediately after landing and continued for 12 h. The flies were then transferred onto fresh agar plates and oocyte collection continued for the subsequent 12 h. The stiffness of oocytes was determined by atomic force microscopy and the content of the cytoskeletal proteins by Western blotting. The results demonstrated a significant decrease in the stiffness of oocytes in the flight group compared to the control (26.5 ± 1.1 pN/nm vs. 31.0 ± 1.8 pN/nm) against the background of a decrease in the content of some cytoskeletal proteins involved in the formation of microtubules and microfilaments. This pattern of oocyte structure leads to the disruption of cytokinesis during the cleavage of early embryos. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New insights into Microgravity and Space Biology)

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Review

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Open AccessReview

Current Knowledge about the Impact of Microgravity on Gene Regulation

and

Cells 2023, 12(7), 1043; https://doi.org/10.3390/cells12071043 - 29 Mar 2023

Viewed by 1300

Abstract

Microgravity (µg) has a massive impact on the health of space explorers. Microgravity changes the proliferation, differentiation, and growth of cells. As crewed spaceflights into deep space are being planned along with the commercialization of space travelling, researchers have focused on gene regulation in cells and organisms exposed to real (r-) and simulated (s-) µg. In particular, cancer and metastasis research benefits from the findings obtained under µg conditions. Gene regulation is a key factor in a cell or an organism’s ability to sustain life and respond to environmental changes. It is a universal process to control the amount, location, and timing in which genes are expressed. In this review, we provide an overview of µg-induced changes in the numerous mechanisms involved in gene regulation, including regulatory proteins, microRNAs, and the chemical modification of DNA. In particular, we discuss the current knowledge about the impact of microgravity on gene regulation in different types of bacteria, protists, fungi, animals, humans, and cells with a focus on the brain, eye, endothelium, immune system, cartilage, muscle, bone, and various cancers as well as recent findings in plants. Importantly, the obtained data clearly imply that µg experiments can support translational medicine on Earth. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New insights into Microgravity and Space Biology)

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Open AccessReview

Experimentally Created Magnetic Force in Microbiological Space and On-Earth Studies: Perspectives and Restrictions

Svetlana A. Ermolaeva

Vladislav A. Parfenov

Pavel A. Karalkin

Yusef D. Khesuani

and

Pavel A. Domnin

Cells 2023, 12(2), 338; https://doi.org/10.3390/cells12020338 - 16 Jan 2023

Viewed by 762

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. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New insights into Microgravity and Space Biology)

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