Organelle homeostasis in microgravity environment

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K15195
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Environmental physiology(including physical medicine and nutritional physiology)
• Research Institution: Tokyo Women's Medical University
• Principal Investigator: Kenjiro Sakaki 東京女子医科大学, 看護学部, 准教授 (70509968)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: オルガネラ品質管理 / 微小重力 / 小胞体

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Recently, human beings have succeeded long-term staying in space. This big advance gives us the new question "How we adapt to this environmental change in space" that should critical for healthcare of astronauts at space colonies. To assess this question, we analyze the effect of microgravity on homeostasis in eukaryotic cells. In this research, we focused on homeostasis in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of which protein quality control system (ERQC) and stress response against ER dysfunction (UPR[ER]) have been well-cleared in comparison with the other organelle. As the results of gene analysis by using the nematode C.elegans, which is the most simple and established genetic model organ, we cannot critical effect on the expression of UPR genes in microgravity. Furthermore, microscopic analysis also revealed that ER morphology was not changed in microgravity.

Free Research Field

生化学　細胞生理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究では当初予想された微小重力による小胞体恒常性維持への影響が、明確には観察されないことを示した。更なる解析を要するが、小胞体とミトコンドリアの連携が微小重力で活発化することが近年報告されつつあることを考えると、ミトコンドリア品質管理機構などの他の細胞内品質管理機構との連携によって代償されている可能性も考えられる。今後はそのようなオルガネラ間でのダイナミックな連携に注目して研究を発展させることが重要と考えられる。