Spaceflight affects neuronal morphology and alters transcellular degradation of neuronal debris in adult Caenorhabditis elegans
Ricardo Laranjeiro,
Girish Harinath,
Amelia K. Pollard,
Christopher J. Gaffney,
Colleen S. Deane,
Siva A. Vanapalli,
Timothy Etheridge,
Nathaniel J. Szewczyk,
Monica Driscoll
Affiliations
Ricardo Laranjeiro
Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA; Corresponding author
Girish Harinath
Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
Amelia K. Pollard
MRC Versus Arthritis Centre for Musculoskeletal Ageing Research and NIHR Nottingham BRC, University of Nottingham, Medical School Royal Derby Hospital, Derby, DE22 3DT, UK
Christopher J. Gaffney
Sport and Health Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, EX1 2LU, UK; Lancaster Medical School, Health Innovation One, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4AT, UK
Colleen S. Deane
Sport and Health Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, EX1 2LU, UK
Siva A. Vanapalli
Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA
Timothy Etheridge
Sport and Health Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, EX1 2LU, UK
Nathaniel J. Szewczyk
MRC Versus Arthritis Centre for Musculoskeletal Ageing Research and NIHR Nottingham BRC, University of Nottingham, Medical School Royal Derby Hospital, Derby, DE22 3DT, UK; Ohio Musculoskeletal and Neurologic Institute and Department of Biomedical Sciences, Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701, USA
Monica Driscoll
Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
Summary: Extended space travel is a goal of government space agencies and private companies. However, spaceflight poses risks to human health, and the effects on the nervous system have to be better characterized. Here, we exploited the unique experimental advantages of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans to explore how spaceflight affects adult neurons in vivo. We found that animals that lived 5 days of adulthood on the International Space Station exhibited hyperbranching in PVD and touch receptor neurons. We also found that, in the presence of a neuronal proteotoxic stress, spaceflight promotes a remarkable accumulation of neuronal-derived waste in the surrounding tissues, suggesting an impaired transcellular degradation of debris released from neurons. Our data reveal that spaceflight can significantly affect adult neuronal morphology and clearance of neuronal trash, highlighting the need to carefully assess the risks of long-duration spaceflight on the nervous system and to develop adequate countermeasures for safe space exploration.
