Mission SpaceX CRS-19 RRRM-1 space flight induced skin genomic plasticity via an epigenetic trigger
Kanhaiya Singh,
Priyanka Verma,
Rajneesh Srivastava,
Yashika Rustagi,
Manishekhar Kumar,
Sumit S. Verma,
Sujit Mohanty,
Afshin Beheshti,
Liz Warren,
Chandan K. Sen
Affiliations
Kanhaiya Singh
Center for Space Biomedicine at McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Indiana Center for Regenerative Medicine and Engineering, Department of Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Corresponding author
Priyanka Verma
Indiana Center for Regenerative Medicine and Engineering, Department of Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
Rajneesh Srivastava
Center for Space Biomedicine at McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Indiana Center for Regenerative Medicine and Engineering, Department of Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
Yashika Rustagi
Indiana Center for Regenerative Medicine and Engineering, Department of Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
Manishekhar Kumar
Center for Space Biomedicine at McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Indiana Center for Regenerative Medicine and Engineering, Department of Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
Sumit S. Verma
Center for Space Biomedicine at McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Indiana Center for Regenerative Medicine and Engineering, Department of Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
Sujit Mohanty
Center for Space Biomedicine at McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Indiana Center for Regenerative Medicine and Engineering, Department of Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
Afshin Beheshti
Center for Space Biomedicine at McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Liz Warren
Center for the Advancement of Science in Space, Houston, TX, USA
Chandan K. Sen
Center for Space Biomedicine at McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Indiana Center for Regenerative Medicine and Engineering, Department of Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Corresponding author
Summary: Genomic plasticity helps adapt to extreme environmental conditions. We tested the hypothesis that exposure to space environment (ESE) impacts the epigenome inducing genomic plasticity. Murine skin samples from the Rodent Research Reference Mission-1 were procured from the International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory. Targeted RNA sequencing to test differential gene expression between the skin of ESE versus ground controls revealed upregulation of VEGF-mediated angiogenesis pathways secondary to promoter hypomethylation in responders. Methylome sequencing identified ESE-sensitive hypomethylated genes including developmental angiogenic genes Araf, Vegfb, and Vegfr1. Based on differentially expressed genes, the angiogenesis biofunction was enriched in responders. The induction of genomic plasticity in response to ESE, as reported herein, may be viewed as a mark of biological resilience that is evident in a minority of organisms, responders but not in non-responders, exposed to the same stressor. Inducible genomic plasticity may be implicated in natural resilience to ESE.
