The JAXA MHU-2 mission had two objectives: 1) To increase understanding of effects of spaceflight on the gut environment (microbiota and metabolites) and immune system using multi-omics based analysis; 2) To evaluate whether fructo-oligosaccharides added to the diet as prebiotics improve the gut environment and immune function during spaceflight. Twelve 16-18 week old male C57BL/6J mice were singly housed in the JAXA Habitat Cage Units (HCUs) on the ISS for 30 days. Six flight mice were housed in microgravity while six were exposed to simulated 1g by centrifugation. These two flight groups were further divided in half so that three mice in each group received standard JAXA chow while the other three were fed chow supplemented with fructooligosaccharides (FOS). Mice were returned live and euthanized and dissected <1 day after splashdown. Ground controls (n=6) were asynchronous and housed in HCUs. Vivarium controls (n=6) were asynchronous and housed in standard habitats. Three ground control and three vivarium animals received standard chow while the other three each ground control and vivarium animals received FOS-supplemented chow. Ground and vivarium samples were dissected by a separate dissection team than flight samples. Femoral skin was dissected 30 minutes after euthanasia and snap frozen in liquid nitrogen. Total RNA was extracted and sequenced at a target depth of 60 M clusters per sample (ribodepleted paired end 150). Study Factor Levels: 1)Spaceflight ug Std. Chow: 3; 2)Spaceflight ug FOS: 3; 3) Spaceflight Artificial 1g Std. Chow: 3; 4)Spaceflight Artificial 1g FOS: 3; 5)Ground 1g Std. Chow: 3; 6)Ground 1g FOS: 3; 7)Vivarium 1g Std. Chow: 3; 8)Vivarium 1g FOS: 3

The JAXA MHU-2 mission had two objectives: 1) To increase understanding of effects of spaceflight on the gut environment (microbiota and metabolites) and immune system using multi-omics based analysis; 2) To evaluate whether fructo-oligosaccharides added to the diet as prebiotics improve the gut environment and immune function during spaceflight. Twelve 16-18 week old male C57BL/6J mice were singly housed in the JAXA Habitat Cage Units (HCUs) on the ISS for 30 days. Six flight mice were housed in microgravity while six were exposed to simulated 1g by centrifugation. These two flight groups were further divided in half so that three mice in each group received standard JAXA chow while the other three were fed chow supplemented with fructooligosaccharides (FOS). Mice were returned live and euthanized and dissected <1 day after splashdown. Ground controls (n=6) were asynchronous and housed in HCUs. Vivarium controls (n=6) were asynchronous and housed in standard habitats. Three ground control and three vivarium animals received standard chow while the other three each ground control and vivarium animals received FOS-supplemented chow. Ground and vivarium samples were dissected by a separate dissection team than flight samples. Dorsal skin was dissected 30 minutes after euthanasia and snap frozen in liquid nitrogen. Total RNA was extracted and sequenced at a target depth of 60 M clusters per sample (ribodepleted paired end 150). Study Factor Levels: 1)Spaceflight ug Std. Chow: 3; 2)Spaceflight ug FOS: 3; 3) Spaceflight Artificial 1g Std. Chow: 3; 4)Spaceflight Artificial 1g FOS: 3; 5)Ground 1g Std. Chow: 3; 6)Ground 1g FOS: 3; 7)Vivarium 1g Std. Chow: 3; 8)Vivarium 1g FOS: 3.

Traveling to nearby extraterrestrial objects having a reduced gravity level (partial gravity) compared to Earth's gravity is becoming a realistic objective for space agencies. The use of plants as part of life support systems will require a better understanding of the interactions among plant growth responses including tropisms, under partial gravity conditions. Here, we present results from our latest space experiments on the ISS, in which seeds of Arabidopsis thaliana were germinated, and seedlings grew for six days under different gravity levels, namely micro-g, several intermediate partial-g levels, and 1g, and were subjected to irradiation with blue light for the last 48 hours. RNA was extracted from 20 samples for subsequent RNAseq analysis. Transcriptomic analysis was performed using the HISAT2-Stringtie-DESeq pipeline. Differentially expressed genes were further characterized for global responses using the GEDI tool, gene networks and for Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment.

We investigated differentially regulated genes in human myelomonocytic U937 cells in 20s and 5min microgravity and in hypergravity and compared expression profiles to identify potential gravity-regulated genes and adaptation processes. Overall design: Human myelomonocytic U937 cells were exposed to altered gravity during a parabolic flight.

The thymus undergoes atrophy during spaceflight. In this study we analyzed gene expression of the thymus of mice on board International space station to elucidate molecular aspects of the thymic atrophy by spaceflight.

We investigated differentially regulated genes in human myelomonocytic U937 cells in 20s and 5min microgravity and in hypergravity and compared expression profiles to identify potential gravity-regulated genes and adaptation processes. Overall design: Human myelomonocytic U937 cells were exposed to altered gravity during a sounding rocket mission.

Four days old rice calli were selected to grow 324h under spaceflight controls 1g-flight controls and 1g-ground controls. We used microarrays to detail the global programme of gene expression underlying cellularisation and identified distinct classes of up-regulated genes during this process. Rice calli were selected at different treatment for RNA extraction and hybridization on Affymetrix microarrays. We sought to obtain the diff-genes that caused by the microgravity.

Arabidopsis thaliana wild type cell cultures were exposed to a 5-day space flight onboard of Shenzhou 8 to identify microgravity and space effect related gene expression.

Our study aims to comprehensively understand effects induced by the space environment on mammals. To achieve this aim we analyze the male mice housed under environments as the artificial gravity and the microgravity (space environment) in Japanese Experiment Module JEM) of the International Space Station (ISS) on orbit for 35 days. After recovered these mice on the ground transcriptome analysis by next-generation sequencing technology is performed about spleen to examine alteration of gene expression in the space.

Understanding the molecular mechanisms by which plants sense and adapt to changes in the space environment is essential for generating plants that are better adapted to withstand space flight microgravity and other adverse conditions encountered in space. The objective of our spaceflight experiment x93Plant Signaling in Microgravity x94 (carried out on the International Space Station ISS) was to compare transcript profiles of wild type and transgenic InsP 5-ptase plants with compromised InsP3 signaling. The transgenic Arabidopsis plants constitutively express the mammalian type I inositol polyphosphate 5-phosphatase (InsP 5-ptase) an enzyme that specifically hydrolyzes the lipid-derived second messenger inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (InsP3). These transgenic plants exhibit normal growth and morphology; however their responses to environmental stimuli including gravity and drought are altered. Seedlings were grown for 5 days under continuous light in experimental containers placed in the European Modular Cultivation system (EMCS) onboard the ISS. The EMCS consists of two rotors within a controlled chamber allowing for a x931g x94 control in space. After sample retrieval from the ISS RNA was isolated from shoot and root tissue and subjected to RNA sequencing. Two-way comparisons of micro g versus x931 x94g have uncovered regulatory mechanisms that are both conserved and altered between the wild type and transgenic seedlings.