Current Knowledge about the Impact of Microgravity on Gene Regulation
Thomas J. Corydon,
Herbert Schulz,
Peter Richter,
Sebastian M. Strauch,
Maik Böhmer,
Dario A. Ricciardi,
Markus Wehland,
Marcus Krüger,
Gilmar S. Erzinger,
Michael Lebert,
Manfred Infanger,
Petra M. Wise,
Daniela Grimm
Affiliations
Thomas J. Corydon
Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Hoegh Guldbergs Gade 10, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
Herbert Schulz
Department of Microgravity and Translational Regenerative Medicine, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Magdeburg, Otto von Guericke University, Universitätsplatz 2, 39106 Magdeburg, Germany
Peter Richter
Gravitational Biology Group, Department of Biology, Friedrich-Alexander University, 91058 Erlangen, Germany
Sebastian M. Strauch
Postgraduate Program in Health and Environment, University of Joinville Region, Joinville 89219-710, SC, Brazil
Maik Böhmer
Institute for Molecular Biosciences, Johann Wolfgang Goethe Universität, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Dario A. Ricciardi
Institute for Molecular Biosciences, Johann Wolfgang Goethe Universität, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Markus Wehland
Department of Microgravity and Translational Regenerative Medicine, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Magdeburg, Otto von Guericke University, Universitätsplatz 2, 39106 Magdeburg, Germany
Marcus Krüger
Department of Microgravity and Translational Regenerative Medicine, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Magdeburg, Otto von Guericke University, Universitätsplatz 2, 39106 Magdeburg, Germany
Gilmar S. Erzinger
Postgraduate Program in Health and Environment, University of Joinville Region, Joinville 89219-710, SC, Brazil
Michael Lebert
Gravitational Biology Group, Department of Biology, Friedrich-Alexander University, 91058 Erlangen, Germany
Manfred Infanger
Department of Microgravity and Translational Regenerative Medicine, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Magdeburg, Otto von Guericke University, Universitätsplatz 2, 39106 Magdeburg, Germany
Petra M. Wise
Department of Microgravity and Translational Regenerative Medicine, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Magdeburg, Otto von Guericke University, Universitätsplatz 2, 39106 Magdeburg, Germany
Daniela Grimm
Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Hoegh Guldbergs Gade 10, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
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.
