Exploration of the molecules responding to space environment and the critical points in development of nematodes

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26506029
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: 宇宙生命学
• Research Institution: Japan Aerospace EXploration Agency
• Principal Investigator: Higashibata Akira 国立研究開発法人宇宙航空研究開発機構, 有人宇宙技術部門, 主任研究開発員 (30360720)
• Research Collaborator: HIGASHITANI Atsushi ; HASHIZUME Toko ; UMEHARA Masumi
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 微小重力 / 線虫 / トランスクリプトーム / クリティカルポイント

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In the past space flight experiments, we observed the effects of microgravity on the genes expression related with muscles and energy metabolisms. The purpose of this study is to know the molecules that were influenced by gravity changes, and to investigate the critical points on the developmental process of Caenorhabditis elegans known as a model organism. The worms were grown under artificial microgravity condition on a clinostat that was an apparatus widely used for experiments for gravity effects on the ground.
The expression level of body morphogenesis related genes showed the changes in the early developmental phase by clinorotation. The result suggested that the body morphogenetic process was sensitive against the gravity changes. During the latter half of the developmental phase of the worms, the artificial microgravity effects were observed on the molecules related with protein phosphorylation that had been also observed in the space experiments.

Free Research Field

分子生物学