Cupriavidus metallidurans Strains with Different Mobilomes and from Distinct Environments Have Comparable Phenomes

Cupriavidus metallidurans has been mostly studied because of its resistance to numerous heavy metals and is increasingly being recovered from other environments not typified by metal contamination. They host a large and diverse mobile gene pool, next to their native megaplasmids. Here, we used comparative genomics and global metabolic comparison to assess the impact of the mobilome on growth capabilities, nutrient utilization, and sensitivity to chemicals of type strain CH34 and three isolates (NA1, NA4 and H1130). The latter were isolated from water sources aboard the International Space Station (NA1 and NA4) and from an invasive human infection (H1130). The mobilome was expanded as prophages were predicted in NA4 and H1130, and a genomic island putatively involved in abietane diterpenoids metabolism was identified in H1130. An active CRISPR-Cas system was identified in strain NA4, providing immunity to a plasmid that integrated in CH34 and NA1. No correlation between the mobilome and isolation environment was found. In addition, our comparison indicated that the metal resistance determinants and properties are conserved among these strains and thus maintained in these environments. Furthermore, all strains were highly resistant to a wide variety of chemicals, much broader than metals. Only minor differences were observed in the phenomes (measured by phenotype microarrays), despite the large difference in mobilomes and the variable (shared by two or three strains) and strain-specific genomes.

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The Impact of Spaceflight and Microgravity on the Human Islet-1+ Cardiovascular Progenitor Cell Transcriptome

International Journal of Molecular Sciences ◽

10.3390/ijms22073577 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 22 (7) ◽

pp. 3577

Author(s):

Victor Camberos ◽

Jonathan Baio ◽

Ana Mandujano ◽

Aida F. Martinez ◽

Leonard Bailey ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Early Stage ◽

Space Station ◽

Cardiovascular Development ◽

Support Cell ◽

Cell Transcriptome ◽

Islet 1 ◽

Life On Earth ◽

The Impact ◽

And Oxidative Stress ◽

Insight Into

Understanding the transcriptomic impact of microgravity and the spaceflight environment is relevant for future missions in space and microgravity-based applications designed to benefit life on Earth. Here, we investigated the transcriptome of adult and neonatal cardiovascular progenitors following culture aboard the International Space Station for 30 days and compared it to the transcriptome of clonally identical cells cultured on Earth. Cardiovascular progenitors acquire a gene expression profile representative of an early-stage, dedifferentiated, stem-like state, regardless of age. Signaling pathways that support cell proliferation and survival were induced by spaceflight along with transcripts related to cell cycle re-entry, cardiovascular development, and oxidative stress. These findings contribute new insight into the multifaceted influence of reduced gravitational environments.

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Spaceflight Induces Novel Regulatory Responses in Arabidopsis Seedling as Revealed by Combined Proteomic and Transcriptomic Analyses

10.21203/rs.2.21481/v2 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Colin Peter Singer Kruse ◽

Alexander D Meyers ◽

Proma Basu ◽

Sarahann Hutchinson ◽

Darron R Luesse ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gene Expression ◽

Cell Wall ◽

Membrane Proteins ◽

Plant Growth ◽

Gene Transcription ◽

Space Station ◽

Growth Efficiency ◽

Rna Seq ◽

Plastid Gene ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background: Understanding of gravity sensing and response is critical to long-term human habitation in space and can provide new advantages for terrestrial agriculture. To this end, the altered gene expression profile induced by microgravity has been repeatedly queried by microarray and RNA-seq experiments to understand gravitropism. However, the quantification of altered protein abundance in space has been minimally investigated. Results: Proteomic (iTRAQ-labelled LC-MS/MS) and transcriptomic (RNA-seq) analyses simultaneously quantified protein and transcript differential expression of three-day old, etiolated Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings grown aboard the International Space Station along with their ground control counterparts. Protein extracts were fractionated to isolate soluble and membrane proteins and analyzed to detect differentially phosphorylated peptides. In total, 968 RNAs, 107 soluble proteins, and 103 membrane proteins were identified as differentially expressed. In addition, the proteomic analyses identified 16 differential phosphorylation events. Proteomic data delivered novel insights and simultaneously provided new context to previously made observations of gene expression in microgravity. There is a sweeping shift in post-transcriptional mechanisms of gene regulation including RNA-decapping protein DCP5, the splicing factors GRP7 and GRP8, and AGO4,. These data also indicate AHA2 and FERONIA as well as CESA1 and SHOU4 as central to the cell wall adaptations seen in spaceflight. Patterns of tubulin-a 1, 3,4 and 6 phosphorylation further reveal an interaction of microtubule and redox homeostasis that mirrors osmotic response signaling elements. The absence of gravity also results in a seemingly wasteful dysregulation of plastid gene transcription. Conclusions: The datasets gathered from Arabidopsis seedlings exposed to microgravity revealed marked impacts on post-transcriptional regulation, cell wall synthesis, redox/microtubule dynamics, and plastid gene transcription. The impact of post-transcriptional regulatory alterations represents an unstudied element of the plant microgravity response with the potential to significantly impact plant growth efficiency and beyond. What’s more, addressing the effects of microgravity on AHA2, CESA1, and alpha tubulins has the potential to enhance cytoskeletal organization and cell wall composition, thereby enhancing biomass production and growth in microgravity. Finally, understanding and manipulating the dysregulation of plastid gene transcription has further potential to address the goal of enhancing plant growth in the stressful conditions of microgravity.

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Comparative Transcriptomic Signature of the Simulated Microgravity Response in Caenorhabditis elegans

10.1101/531335 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

İrem Çelen ◽

Aroshan Jayasinghe ◽

Jung H. Doh ◽

Chandran R. Sabanayagam

Keyword(s):

Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽

Simulated Microgravity ◽

Space Station ◽

Integrative Approach ◽

Biological Processes ◽

Rna Seq ◽

Transcriptomic Response ◽

Transcriptomic Signature ◽

Ground Conditions ◽

The Impact

AbstractBackgroundGiven the growing interest in human exploration of space, it is crucial to identify the effect of space conditions on biological processes. The International Space Station (ISS) greatly helps researchers determine these effects. However, the impact of the ISS-introduced potential confounders (e.g., the combination of radiation and microgravity exposures) on the biological processes are often neglected, and separate investigations are needed to uncover the impact of individual conditions.ResultsHere, we analyze the transcriptomic response of Caenorhabditis elegans to simulated microgravity and observe the maintained transcriptomic response after return to ground conditions for four, eight, and twelve days. Through the integration of our data with those in NASA GeneLab, we identify the gravitome, which we define as microgravity-responsive transcriptomic signatures. We show that 75% of the simulated microgravity-induced changes on gene expression persist after return to ground conditions for four days while most of these changes are reverted after twelve days return to ground conditions. Our results from integrative RNA-seq and mass spectrometry analyses suggest that simulated microgravity affects longevity regulating insulin/IGF-1 and sphingolipid signaling pathways.ConclusionsOur results address the sole impact of simulated microgravity on transcriptome by controlling for the other space-introduced conditions and utilizing RNA-seq. Using an integrative approach, we identify a conserved transcriptomic signature to microgravity and its sustained impact after return to the ground. Moreover, we present the effect of simulated microgravity on distinct ceramide profiles. Overall, this work can provide insights into the sole effect of microgravity on biological systems.

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Status - International Space Station (ISS) Crewmembers' Noise Exposures

INTER-NOISE and NOISE-CON Congress and Conference Proceedings ◽

10.3397/in-2021-2219 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 263 (4) ◽

pp. 2740-2754

Author(s):

Jose Limardo ◽

Christopher S. Allen ◽

Richard W. Danielson ◽

Andrew J. Boone

Keyword(s):

International Space Station ◽

Noise Exposure ◽

Space Station ◽

Monitoring Program ◽

Conservation Strategies ◽

Exposure Limits ◽

International Space ◽

Exposure Monitoring ◽

The Impact ◽

Dosimetry Data

Environmental noise in space vehicles, caused by onboard equipment and crew activities, has generated concerns for crew health and safety since early U.S. space missions. The International Space Station (ISS) provides a unique environment where acoustic conditions can be monitored while crewmembers from the U.S. and their international partners work and live for as long as 6 to 12 consecutive months. This review of acoustic dosimetry data collected to date reveals that the noise exposure limits of NASA's stringent noise constraint flight rule have been exceeded in 41% of these dosimetry measurements since ISS Increment 17 (2008), with undefined impacts to crew. These measurements do not take into account the effects of hearing protection devices worn by the crew. The purpose of this paper is to provide an update on ISS noise exposure monitoring approaches and hearing conservation strategies that include acoustic dosimetry data collected since the ISS Increment 55 mission (April 2018). Future directions and recommendations for the ISS noise exposure monitoring program will also be presented, including research initiatives aimed at better defining the impact of ISS noise on crew health and performance.

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Interplay between the Zur Regulon Components and Metal Resistance inCupriavidus metallidurans

Journal of Bacteriology ◽

10.1128/jb.00192-19 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 201 (15) ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Lucy Bütof ◽

Cornelia Große ◽

Hauke Lilie ◽

Martin Herzberg ◽

Dietrich H. Nies

Keyword(s):

Metal Resistance ◽

Zinc Homeostasis ◽

Transport Systems ◽

Starvation Response ◽

Content Type ◽

Resistance Factors ◽

Cupriavidus Metallidurans ◽

Dependent Protein ◽

Zinc Storage ◽

Physiological And Biochemical

ABSTRACTThe Zur regulon is central to zinc homeostasis in the zinc-resistant bacteriumCupriavidus metallidurans. It comprises the transcription regulator Zur, the zinc importer ZupT, and three members of the COG0523 family of metal-chaperoning G3E-type GTPases, annotated as CobW1, CobW2, and CobW3. The operon structures of thezurandcobW1loci were determined. To analyze the interplay between the Zur regulon components and metal resistance, deletion mutants were constructed from the wild-type strain CH34 and various other strains. The Zur regulon components interacted with the plasmid-encoded and chromosomally encoded metal resistance factors to acquire metals from complexes of EDTA and for homeostasis of and resistance to zinc, nickel, cobalt, and cadmium. The three G3E-type GTPases were characterized in more detail. CobW1 bound only 1 Zn atom per mol of protein with a stability constant slightly above that of 2-carboxy-2′-hydroxy-5′-sulfoformazylbenzene (Zincon) and an additional 0.5 Zn with low affinity. The CobW1 system was necessary to obtain metals from EDTA complexes. The GTPase CobW2 is a zinc storage compound and bound 0.5 to 1.5 Zn atoms tightly and up to 6 more with lower affinity. The presence of MgGTP unfolded the protein partially. CobW3 had no GTPase activity and equilibrated metal import by ZupT with that of the other metal transport systems. It sequestered 8 Zn atoms per mol with decreasing affinity. The three CobWs bound to the metal-dependent protein FolEIB2, which is encoded directly downstream ofcobW1. This demonstrated an important contribution of the Zur regulon components to metal homeostasis inC. metallidurans.IMPORTANCEZinc is an important transition metal cation and is present as an essential component in many enzymes, such as RNA polymerase. As with other transition metals, zinc is also toxic at higher concentrations so that living cells have to maintain strict control of their zinc homeostasis. Members of the COG0523 family of metal-chaperoning GE3-type GTPases exist in archaea, bacteria, and eucaryotes, including humans, and they may be involved in delivery of zinc to thousands of different proteins. We used a combination of molecular, physiological, and biochemical methods to demonstrate the important but diverse functions of COG0523 proteins inC. metallidurans, which are produced as part of the Zur-controlled zinc starvation response in this bacterium.

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The Impact of Producing Type and Dietary Crude Protein on Animal Performances and Microbiota Together with Greenhouse Gases Emissions in Growing Pigs

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani10101742 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (10) ◽

pp. 1742

Author(s):

Ahmad Reza Seradj ◽

Joaquim Balcells ◽

Laura Sarri ◽

Lorenzo José Fraile ◽

Gabriel de la Fuente Oliver

Keyword(s):

Greenhouse Gases ◽

Crude Protein ◽

Average Daily Gain ◽

Nutrient Utilization ◽

Growing Pigs ◽

Utilization Efficiency ◽

Greenhouse Gases Emissions ◽

Nutrient Utilization Efficiency ◽

Dietary Crude Protein ◽

The Impact

In order to reduce dietary nitrogen and achieve an efficient protein deposition as well as decrease N wastage, we challenged the nutrient utilization efficiency of two different producing types in front of a dietary crude protein (CP) restriction and studied the role of the microbiota in such an adaptation process. Therefore, 32 pure castrated male Duroc (DU) and 32 entire male hybrid (F2) piglets were raised in a three-phase feeding regime. At each phase, two iso caloric diets differing in CP content, also known as normal protein (NP) and low protein (LP), were fed to the animals. LP diets had a fixed restriction (2%) in CP content in regards to NP ones throughout the phases of the experiment. At the end of third phase, fecal samples were collected for microbiota analysis purposes and greenhouse gases emissions, together with ammonia, were tested. No changes were found in average daily feed intake (ADFI) of animals of two producing types (Duroc vs. F2) or those consumed different experimental diets (NP vs. LP) throughout the course of study. However, at the end of each experimental phase the average body weight (BW) of hybrid animals were higher compared to Duroc pigs, whereas a reverse trend was observed for average daily gain (ADG), where Duroc pigs showed greater values with respect to hybrid ones. Despite, greater CH4 and ammonia emissions in Duroc pigs with respect to F2, no significant differences were found in contaminant gases emissions between diets. Moreover, LP diets did not alter the microbial community structure, in terms of diversity, although some genera were affected by the dietary challenge. Results suggest that the impact of reducing 2% of CP content was limited for reduction in contaminant gases emissions and highlight the hypothesis that moderate change in the dietary protein levels can be overcome by long-term adaptation of the gut microbiota. Overall, the influence of the producing type on performance and digestive microbiota composition was more pronounced than the dietary effect. However, both producing types responded differently to CP restriction. The use of fecal microbiota as biomarker for predicting feed efficiency has a great potential that should be completed with robust predictive models to achieve consistent and valid results.

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Long-term (6-wk) hindlimb suspension inhibits spermatogenesis in adult male rats

Journal of Applied Physiology ◽

10.1152/japplphysiol.00931.2001 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 92 (3) ◽

pp. 1191-1198 ◽

Cited By ~ 28

Author(s):

Joseph S. Tash ◽

Donald C. Johnson ◽

George C. Enders

Keyword(s):

Adult Male ◽

Inguinal Canal ◽

Space Station ◽

Male Rats ◽

Hindlimb Suspension ◽

Spermatogenic Cells ◽

Cage Floor ◽

Seminal Vesicle Weight ◽

The Impact

The International Space Station will allow extended habitation in space and long-term exposure to microgravity (μG). A concern is the impact of long-term μG exposure on the ability of species to reproduce. The model often used to simulate μG is rat hindlimb suspension (HLS), where the hindlimbs are elevated above the cage floor with a tail harness. Experiments described here are the first to examine the effect of long-term HLS on testicular function in adult male rats. Free-roaming (controls), animals with only the tail harnessed but hindlimbs in contact with the cage floor (TO), and HLS animals were tested for 6 wk. Cryptorchidism was prevented in TO and HLS animals by partial constriction of the inguinal canal with sutures. All parameters were compared at the end of the 6-wk experiment. Testicular weights and spermatogenesis were significantly reduced by HLS, such that no spermatogenic cells beyond round spermatids were present and epididymides were devoid of mature sperm. In many tubules, loss of all germ cells, except a few spermatogonia, resulting in histopathology similar to the Sertoli cell, was observed. Spermatogenesis appeared unaffected in control and TO animals. Sertoli and Leydig cell appearance, testosterone, luteinizing hormone, and follicle-stimulating hormone levels, and epididymal and seminal vesicle weight were unchanged by HLS. Cortisone was not elevated by HLS; thus stress may not be a factor. These results demonstrate that spermatogenesis is severely inhibited by long-term HLS, whereas testicular androgen production is not. These results have significant implications regarding serious effects of long-term exposure to μG on the reproductive capability of scrotal mammals, including humans.

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