Human deep space and planetary travel is limited by uncertainties regarding the health risks associated with exposure to galactic cosmic radiation (GCR) and in particular the high linear energy transfer (LET) heavy ion component. Here we assessed the impact of two high-LET ions 56Fe and 28Si and low-LET X rays on genome-wide methylation patterns in human bronchial epithelial cells. We found that all three radiation types induced rapid and stable changes in DNA methylation but at distinct subsets of CpG sites affecting different chromatin compartments. The 56Fe ions induced mostly hypermethylation and primarily affected sites in open chromatin regions including enhancers promoters and edges ( shores ) of CpG islands. The 28Si ion-exposure had mixed effects inducing both hyper and hypomethylation and affecting sites in more repressed heterochromatic environments whereas X rays induced mostly hypomethylation primarily at sites in gene bodies and intergenic regions. Significantly the methylation status of 56Fe ion irradiation sensitive sites but not those affected by X ray or 28Si ions could discriminate tumor from normal tissue for human lung adenocarcinomas and squamous cell carcinomas. Thus high LET radiation exposure leaves a lasting imprint on the epigenome and affects sites relevant to human lung cancer. The 56Fe ion signature may prove useful in monitoring the cumulative biological impact and associated cancer risks encountered by astronauts in deep space. Genome wide DNA methylation profiling of normal human bronchial epithelial cells irradiated with varying doses of 28Si-ion radiation ( 300 MeV/u at 0 0.3 1.0 Gy) 56Fe-ion radiation (600 MeV/u at 0 0.1 0.3 1.0 Gy) or X rays (320 kV at 0 1.0 Gy). Triplicate control and irradiated samples were incubated and sampled at 4 timepoints between 2 and 62 days. The Illumina Infinium 450k Human DNA methylation Beadchip was used to obtain DNA methylation profiles across >485,000 CpGs from collected samples. Samples include: 56Fe ions 4 doses x 4 time points x 3 replicates (4 removed in QC) = 44 samples; 28Si ions = 3 doses x 4 time points x 3 replicates = 36 samples; X ray 2 doses x 4 time points x 3 replicates (2 removed in QC)= 22 samples. Overall design: Bisulphite converted DNA from the 102 samples were hybridized to the Illumina Infinium 450k Human Methylation Beadchip.

Radiation affects tissue and cellular integrity at the level of DNA protein and metabolites of the cell and extracellular space. The effects of radiation are not limited to targeted cells and tissue and radiation induced bystander effects are significant to exposed individuals in accidental or therapeutic situations. These non-targeted effects of radiation have been studied extensively at the low dose range where they appear to have adverse effects on cells and surrounding environments. The requirement of cellular contact and shared fluid media has been established as critical to the bystander effect yet there is not much known about the actual signaling mechanism and its ability to transmit the damaging effect over space and time. Experimental cell types and context within the tissue are also quite important to the nature and extent of this bystander effect and must be considered when drawing parallels at the organismal level. Our approach was to use a genomic level analysis of global mRNA expression in primary lung fibroblast cells to understand the cellular triggers and mechanism of the bystander effect. Gene ontology and pathway analyses suggested that the p53 induced transcriptional response appears muted in bystanders while cytokine and cell signaling mechanisms such as those controlled by NFkB and p38 MAPK are highly active in both populations. We validated a large number of genes that are significantly changed at 4hrs after irradiation in both irradiated and bystander populations. We investigated time course gene expression profiles of cyclooxygenase2 (PTGS2) interleukin 8 (IL8) and BCL2 related protein 2 (BCL2A1) as genes that are involved in cellular signaling via the NFkB pathway which revealed that there is a dramatic response at 0.5hr after irradiation followed by another wave at 4hr in both populations. The induction of interleukins such as cytokine IL8 and chemokine IL6 at the transcriptional level is both early and amplified and if followed by translation and secretion of these proteins could explain the concerted response seen in bystander cells. Our results are the first to show that there is a significant and distinct global response of cellular signaling genes in bystander cells with some genes showing a response as early as 0.5hr after irradiation which implies a fast moving intercellular signal that leads to a concerted response in the irradiated and bystander populations. Keywords: gene expression fold change There are 12 total samples 4 corresponding biological replicates of IMR90 cells that were not irradiated (control=C) irradiated (alpha=A) and bystander (B)

Mitochondrial DNA-depleted human skin fibroblasts (HSF rho0) with suppressed oxidative phosphorylation were characterized by significant changes in the expression of 2100 nuclear genes encoding numerous protein classes in NF-kappaB and STAT3 signaling pathways and by decreased activity of the mitochondrial death pathway compared to the parent rho+ HSF. In contrast the extrinsic TRAIL/TRAIL-Receptor-mediated death pathway remained highly active and exogenous TRAIL induced higher levels of apoptosis in rho0 cells compared to rho+ HSF. Global gene expression analysis using microarray and quantitative RT-PCR demonstrated that expression levels of many growth factors and their adaptor proteins (FGF13 HGF IGFBP4 IGFBP6 IGFL2) cytokines (IL6 IL17B IL18 IL19 IL28B) and cytokine receptors (IL1R1 IL21R IL31RA) were substantially decreased after mitochondrial depletion. Some of these genes were targets of NF-kappaB and STAT3 and their protein products could regulate the STAT3 signaling pathway. Alpha-irradiation induced expression of several NF-kappaB/STAT3 target genes including IL1A IL1B IL6 PTGS2/COX2 and MMP12 in rho+ HSF but this response was substantially decreased in rho0 HSF. Suppression of the IKK-NF-kappaB pathway by the small molecular inhibitor BMS-345541 and of the JAK2-STAT3 pathway by AG490 dramatically increased TRAIL-induced apoptosis in the control and irradiated rho+ HSF. Inhibitory antibodies against IL6 the main activator of JAK2-STAT3 pathway added into the cell media also increased TRAIL-induced apoptosis in rho+ HSF. However NF-kappaB activation was partially lost in mitochondrial DNA-depleted HSF resulting in downregulation of the basal or radiation-induced expression of numerous NF-kappaB targets further suppressing IL6-JAK2-STAT3 that in concert with NF-kappaB regulated protection against TRAIL-induced apoptosis. There are 12 total samples 3 biological replicates each of HSF rho+ and rho0 cells that were not irradiated (control=C) or irradiated (alpha=A). Cells were harvested at 4 hours after treatment.

Background: The radiation bystander response is an important component of the overall response of cells to radiation and critical to understanding health risks of radiation exposure to humans. The mechanism of radiation response includes inter-cellular signaling and intra-cellular communication by which the bystander signal is propagated. Methods: We measured the bystander response to 1Gy a-particle radiation in Mrad9-/- mouse stem cells and H1299shRAD9 cells using chromosomal aberration and micronucleus formation as DNA damage endpoints. In the H1299 model we used whole genome microarray analyses to profile the transcriptome of irradiated and bystander cells. Results: We investigated the role of RAD9 in the bystander response and showed that depletion or mutation of RAD9 had an effect of increasing chromosomal structural damage as well as micronucleus formation in bystander cells. The enhancement of the damage effect correlated strongly with a transcriptomic response in critical pathways. RAD9 depletion affected many pathways in the cell including the UV-MAPK pathway involving p38MAPK members STAT1 and PARP1 at the mRNA levels. There was an overall reduction of RNA biogenesis of gene members of this pathway suggesting that perhaps these signaling pathways do not function optimally after RAD9 depletion. Using network analysis we found there may be differential activation of transcriptional regulators between the irradiated and bystander cells involving the SP1 and NUPR1 transcription factors. Network analysis also suggested that HIF1a (Hypoxia induced factor 1a) activation could be a negative predictor of the bystander effect and perhaps that local hypoxic stress observed by cells that are directly exposed to radiation may predict whether or not they will elicit a bystander response. Gene expression in H1299 cells was measured at 4 hours after exposure to 1 Gy a-particles. There were two groups based on RAD9 status RAD9 normal and RAD9 depleted by siRNA. In each of these groups sham irradiated direct irradiated cells for positive bystanders positive bystanders direct irradiated cells for negative bystanders and negative bystanders; were identified based on micronucleus responses. Five biological replicates were analyzed for each experimental group.

The existence of a radiation bystander effect in which non-irradiated cells respond to signals from irradiated cells is well established. It raises concerns for the interpretation of risks from exposure to low doses of ionizing radiation. Sparse data exists about the bystander signaling mechanisms and the ability to transmit damaging effects both spatially and temporally. To understand early signaling and cellular changes in bystanders we have measured global gene expression 30 minutes after direct and bystander exposure to alpha particle in primary human lung fibroblasts. Gene ontology and pathway analyses suggested that the earliest measured changes at 30 minutes after treatment are in cell structure motility and adhesion categories and a significant number of genes belong to the category of inflammation and cell-to-cell communication. We investigated time course gene expression profiles of matrix metalloproteinases 1 and 3 (MMP1 and MMP3) chemokine ligands 2 3 and 5 (CXCL2 CXCL3 and CXCL5) interleukins 1a 1b 6 and 33 (IL1A IL1B IL6 and IL33) growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) and superoxide dismutase2 (SOD2) by real time quantitative PCR. These encode proteins involved in cellular signaling via the NFkappaB pathway and time course of mRNA levels revealed an increased response at 30 minutes after irradiation followed by another wave at 4 to 6 hours. We also investigated protein modifications in the AKT-GSK-3 signaling pathway and found that in irradiated cells AKT and GSK3beta are hyper-phosphorylated at 30 minutes and this effect is maintained until 4 hours after exposure. In bystanders there is a similar response with a delay of 30 minutes. In irradiated cells inactivated GSK3beta led to decreased phosphorylation of beta-catenin. Our results are the first to show that the radiation induced bystander signal can induce a widespread gene expression response as early as 30 minutes after exposure and that these changes are accompanied by protein modification of signaling modules such as AKT and GSK3beta. There are 12 total samples 4 corresponding biological replicates of IMR90 cells that were not irradiated (control=C) irradiated (alpha=A) and bystander (B) cells were harvested 0.5 hr after treatment

To determine how host irradiation affects tumor profiles in 10 month aged mice treated with HZE or gamma irradiation.

Transcriptional profiling of mammary tissue irradiated at 10 weeks of age with either 100 cGy sparsely ionizing gamma-rays or 10 cGy or 30 cGy densely ionizing radiation (350 MeV/amu Si). Mammary tissue was collected 1 weeks 4 weeks and 12 weeks post-irradiation. Four radiation treatment groups: sham 100 cGy sparsely ionizing gamma-rays 10 cGy or 30 cGy densely ionizing radiation (350 MeV/amu Si). Three time points post-irradiation (1 4 and 12 weeks). Three or four replicates per time point.

Cesium-137 is a radionuclide of concern in fallout from reactor accidents or nuclear detonations. When ingested or inhaled it can expose the entire body for an extended period of time potentially contributing to serious health consequences ranging from acute radiation syndrome to increased cancer risks. In order to identify changes in gene expression that may be informative for detecting such exposure and to begin examining the molecular responses involved we have profiled global gene expression in mice injected with 137CsCl. We extracted RNA from the blood of control or 137CsCl-injected mice at 2 3 5 20 or 30 days after exposure. Gene expression was measured using Agilent Whole Mouse Genome Microarrays and the data was analyzed using BRB-ArrayTools. Three-month old male C57Bl/6 mice were injected intraperitoneally with 8.0 xc2 xb1 0.3 MBq 137CsCl solution in a volume of 50 xce xbcL or left as controls. Groups of treated and control mice were sacrificed at intervals during the first 2-30 days after exposure and total blood was collected using cardiac puncture. RNA was extracted from the blood globin-transcript reduced and subjected to whole genome expression microarray analysis.

Analysis of human peripheral blood 48 hours after irradiation ex vivo with graded doses of gamma rays. Results have been used in building and testing classifiers to predict exposure dose for use in radiological triage and also provide insight into immune cell responses. Results were compared with those from earlier times and from patients exposed in vivo. Peripheral blood from 5 healthy donors was exposed ex vivo to 0. 0.5 2 5 or 8 Gy gamma-rays and gene expression was analyzed up to 48 hours after exposure.

To further development of our gene expression approach to biodosimetry we have employed whole genome microarray expression profiling as a discovery platform to identify genes with the potential to distinguish radiation dose across an exposure range relevant for medical decision-making in a radiological emergency. Human peripheral blood from healthy donors was irradiated ex vivo and a 74-gene consensus signature was identified that distinguished between four radiation doses (0.5 2 5 and 8 Gy) and control samples. The same set of genes separated samples by exposure level at both six and 24 hours after treatment with overlap evident only at the highest two doses (5 and 8 Gy). Expression of five genes (CDKN1A FDXR SESN1 BBC3 and PHPT1) from this signature was quantified in the same RNA samples by real-time PCR confirming low variability between donors as well as the predicted radiation response pattern. Experiment Overall Design: Radiation induced gene expression in human blood was measured at 6 and 24 hours after exposure to doses of 0 0.5 2 5 and 8 Gy g-rays. Five independent experiments were performed at each time (6 or 24 hours) using different donors for each experiment