Radiation effects in nematodes: Results from IML-1 experiments

Nelson, Gregory A.; Schubert, Wayne; Kazarians, Gayane; Richards, Gary J.; Benton, E.V.; Henke, R.P.

doi:10.1016/0273-1177(94)90455-3

Cited by 32 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…12 Previous spaceflight experiments using C. elegans indicate that it can mate, reproduce, develop and undergo radiation induced mutations during spaceflight experiments. 1,2 Other physiological effects of the space environment, however, are poorly understood. Conley (NASA Ames Research Center) has proposed the use of a complete chemical liquid medium CeMM (C. elegans Maintenance Medium 3,4 ) for spaceflight experiments using C. elegans, in order to exclude any effects of surface tension as a result of culturing on agar plates under microgravity conditions.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Checkpoint and physiological apoptosis in germ cells proceeds normally in spaceflown Caenorhabditis elegans

et al. 2005

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It is important for human life in space to study the effects of environmental factors during spaceflight on a number of physiological phenomena. Apoptosis plays important roles in development and tissue homeostasis in metazoans. In this study, we have analyzed apoptotic activity in germ cells of the nematode C. elegans, following spaceflight. Comparison of the number of cell corpses in wild type or ced-1 mutants, grown under either ground or spaceflight conditions, showed that both pachytene-checkpoint apoptosis and physiological apoptosis in germ cells occurred normally under spaceflight conditions. In addition, the expression levels of the checkpoint and apoptosis related genes are comparable between spaceflight and ground conditions. This is the first report documenting the occurrence of checkpoint apoptosis in the space environment and suggests that metazoans, including humans, would be able to eliminate cells that have failed to repair DNA lesions introduced by cosmic radiation during spaceflight.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Checkpoint and physiological apoptosis in germ cells proceeds normally in spaceflown Caenorhabditis elegans

et al. 2005

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“…On STS-42, C. elegans was examined in terms of how it is affected by space radiation. An 8-fold increase in the mutation rate was observed with large chromosomal rearrangements being found at a higher frequency in space-flown worms compared to ground controls [6,7]. On STS-76, increased mutations induced by low earth orbit space radiation were observed and were shown to be the direct consequence of space radiation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 92%

Analysis of the Effect of Space Radiations on the Nematode, <i> Caenorhabditis elegans </i>, through the Simulated Space Radiation

Yi¹,

Kim²,

Song³

2013

IJAA

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In this study, we simulated space flight of the nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans, on the ground and examined how it is affected by space radiation and G-forces. We simulated G-forces during launch in a gravity acceleration laboratory device in order to identify and isolate the effects of the G-forces. Following this, we irradiated C. elegans with accelerated protons (MC-50 Cyclotron) and gamma rays (iR 222 machine) at the same physical dose. We calculated the expected radiation dose according to Reitz [1] and simulation programs (NASA AP8MIN [2], NASA AE8MAX [2], and CREAM86 [3]) for 1 month (dose rate: 6 × 10 −3 Gy; 2.8 × 10 −2 Gy), 6 months (dose rate: 36 × 10 −3 Gy; 16.8 × 10 −2 Gy), and 2 years (dose rate: 144 × 10 −3 Gy; 67.2 × 10 −2 Gy) of space flight. There have been several trials that aimed to take C. elegans into orbit on US space shuttle missions including a mission on the shuttle Columbia. In this study, we simulated longer duration space flights and performed a whole-genome microarray analysis to observe phenotype variations whereas most such experiments were carried out during short duration space flights and focused on mutations and genotypic variations. We expect that the results of this study will be useful to predict the effects of long-term exposure of space radiation on living organisms.

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“…The extensive similarities to mammalian muscle have allowed C. elegans to be developed as a small animal model for studies of a number of types of muscle atrophy, including muscular dystrophy (Grisoni et al, 2002), starvation (Zdinak et al, 1997), denervation (Szewczyk et al, 2000), growth factor alterations (Szewczyk and Jacobson, 2003), aging (Fisher, 2004) and altered function of myosin chaperones (Hoppe et al, 2004). C. elegans has also been developed as a model for studies of spaceflight effects on physiology (Hartman et al, 2001;Nelson et al, 1994a;Nelson et al, 1994b). In this study, we therefore employed space flown C. elegans to confirm and extend the findings made with cultured embryonic avian muscle cells.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Decreased expression of myogenic transcription factors and myosin heavy chains inCaenorhabditis elegansmuscles developed during spaceflight

Higashibata

Szewczyk

Conley

et al. 2006

Journal of Experimental Biology

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SUMMARY The molecular mechanisms underlying muscle atrophy during spaceflight are not well understood. We have analyzed the effects of a 10-day spaceflight on Caenorhabditis elegans muscle development. DNA microarray, real-time quantitative PCR, and quantitative western blot analyses revealed that the amount of MHC in both body-wall and pharyngeal muscle decrease in response to spaceflight. Decreased transcription of the body-wall myogenic transcription factor HLH-1 (CeMyoD) and of the three pharyngeal myogenic transcription factors, PEB-1, CEH-22 and PHA-4 were also observed. Upon return to Earth animals displayed reduced rates of movement, indicating a functional defect. These results demonstrate that C. elegans muscle development is altered in response to spaceflight. This altered development occurs at the level of gene transcription and was observed in the presence of innervation,not simply in isolated cells. This important finding coupled with past observations of decreased levels of the same myogenic transcription factions in vertebrates after spaceflight raises the possibility that altered muscle development is a contributing factor to spaceflight-induced muscle atrophy in vertebrates.

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Radiation effects in nematodes: Results from IML-1 experiments

Cited by 32 publications

References 4 publications

Checkpoint and physiological apoptosis in germ cells proceeds normally in spaceflown Caenorhabditis elegans

Checkpoint and physiological apoptosis in germ cells proceeds normally in spaceflown Caenorhabditis elegans

Analysis of the Effect of Space Radiations on the Nematode, <i> Caenorhabditis elegans </i>, through the Simulated Space Radiation

Decreased expression of myogenic transcription factors and myosin heavy chains inCaenorhabditis elegansmuscles developed during spaceflight

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Radiation effects in nematodes: Results from IML-1 experiments

Cited by 32 publications

References 4 publications

Checkpoint and physiological apoptosis in germ cells proceeds normally in spaceflown Caenorhabditis elegans

Checkpoint and physiological apoptosis in germ cells proceeds normally in spaceflown Caenorhabditis elegans

Analysis of the Effect of Space Radiations on the Nematode, &lt;i&gt; Caenorhabditis elegans &lt;/i&gt;, through the Simulated Space Radiation

Decreased expression of myogenic transcription factors and myosin heavy chains inCaenorhabditis elegansmuscles developed during spaceflight

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Analysis of the Effect of Space Radiations on the Nematode, <i> Caenorhabditis elegans </i>, through the Simulated Space Radiation