Plants exhibit a robust transcriptional response to gamma radiation which includes the induction of transcripts required for homologous recombination and the suppression of transcripts that promote cell cycle progression. Various DNA damaging agents induce different spectra of DNA damage as well as collateral damage to other cellular components and therefore are not expected to provoke identical responses by the cell. Here we study the effects of two different types of ionizing radiation (IR) treatment, HZE (1 GeV Fe26+ high mass, high charge, and high energy relativistic particles) and gamma photons, on the transcriptome of Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings. Both types of IR induce small clusters of radicals that can result in the formation of double strand breaks (DSBs), but HZE also produces linear arrays of extremely clustered damage. We performed these experiments across a range of time points (1.5-24 h after irradiation) in both wild-type plants and in mutants defective in the DSB-sensing protein kinase ATM. The two types of IR exhibit a shared double strand break-repair-related damage response, although they differ slightly in the timing, degree, and ATM-dependence of the response. The ATM-dependent, DNA metabolism-related transcripts of the DSB response were also induced by other DNA damaging agents, but were not induced by conventional stresses. Both Gamma and HZE irradiation induced, at 24 h post-irradiation, ATM-dependent transcripts associated with a variety of conventional stresses; these were overrepresented for pathogen response, rather than DNA metabolism. In contrast, only HZE-irradiated plants, at 1.5 h after irradiation, exhibited an additional and very extensive transcriptional response, shared with plants experiencing extended night. This response was not apparent in gamma-irradiated plants. We treated 5-day-old WT and atm-1 seedlings of Arabidopsis thaliana with 100 Gy of Gamma radiation (over a span of 15 minutes) or 30 Gy of HZE (over a span of approximately 12 minutes). Gamma irradiations were completed at 8:40 am, while HZE irradiations were conducted in two runs (due to space limitations) which were completed at 1:09 and 1:28pm respectively. Gamma treated seedlings were sampled at 10:10 am, 11:40 am, 2:55 pm, 8:40 pm, and 8:40 am. HZE treated seedlings were sampled at 2:39 pm, 4:09 pm, 7:24 pm, 1:09 am, and 1:09 pm. Un-irradiated WT and atm-1 control seedlings were sampled at 10:45 am on Day #1 and 9:15 am on Day #2. There are a total of 22 experimental or control conditions, with two replicates per condition, yielding 44 samples overall.

Plants exhibit a robust transcriptional response to gamma radiation which includes the induction of transcripts required for homologous recombination and the suppression of transcripts that promote cell cycle progression. Various DNA damaging agents induce different spectra of DNA damage as well as collateral damage to other cellular components and therefore are not expected to provoke identical responses by the cell. Here we study the effects of two different types of ionizing radiation (IR) treatment HZE (1 GeV Fe26+ high mass high charge and high energy relativistic particles) and gamma photons on the transcriptome of Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings. Both types of IR induce small clusters of radicals that can result in the formation of double strand breaks (DSBs) but HZE also produces linear arrays of extremely clustered damage. We performed these experiments across a range of time points (1.5-24 h after irradiation) in both wild-type plants and in mutants defective in the DSB-sensing protein kinase ATM. The two types of IR exhibit a shared double strand break-repair-related damage response although they differ slightly in the timing degree and ATM-dependence of the response. The ATM-dependent DNA metabolism-related transcripts of the DSB response were also induced by other DNA damaging agents but were not induced by conventional stresses. Both Gamma and HZE irradiation induced at 24 h post-irradiation ATM-dependent transcripts associated with a variety of conventional stresses; these were overrepresented for pathogen response rather than DNA metabolism. In contrast only HZE-irradiated plants at 1.5 h after irradiation exhibited an additional and very extensive transcriptional response shared with plants experiencing extended night. This response was not apparent in gamma-irradiated plants. We treated 5-day-old WT and atm-1 seedlings of Arabidopsis thaliana with 100 Gy of Gamma radiation (over a span of 15 minutes) or 30 Gy of HZE (over a span of approximately 12 minutes). Gamma irradiations were completed at 8:40 am while HZE irradiations were conducted in two runs (due to space limitations) which were completed at 1:09 and 1:28pm respectively. Gamma treated seedlings were sampled at 10:10 am 11:40 am 2:55 pm 8:40 pm and 8:40 am. HZE treated seedlings were sampled at 2:39 pm 4:09 pm 7:24 pm 1:09 am and 1:09 pm. Un-irradiated WT and atm-1 control seedlings were sampled at 10:45 am on Day #1 and 9:15 am on Day #2. There are a total of 22 experimental or control conditions with two replicates per condition yielding 44 samples overall.

Plants exhibit a robust transcriptional response to gamma radiation which includes the induction of transcripts required for homologous recombination and the suppression of transcripts that promote cell cycle progression. Various DNA damaging agents induce different spectra of DNA damage as well as collateral damage to other cellular components and therefore are not expected to provoke identical responses by the cell. Here we study the effects of two different types of ionizing radiation (IR) treatment HZE (1 GeV Fe26+ high mass high charge and high energy relativistic particles) and gamma photons on the transcriptome of Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings. Both types of IR induce small clusters of radicals that can result in the formation of double strand breaks (DSBs) but HZE also produces linear arrays of extremely clustered damage. We performed these experiments across a range of time points (1.5-24 h after irradiation) in both wild-type plants and in mutants defective in the DSB-sensing protein kinase ATM. The two types of IR exhibit a shared double strand break-repair-related damage response although they differ slightly in the timing degree and ATM-dependence of the response. The ATM-dependent DNA metabolism-related transcripts of the xd2DSB response xd3 were also induced by other DNA damaging agents but were not induced by conventional stresses. Both Gamma and HZE irradiation induced at 24 h post-irradiation ATM-dependent transcripts associated with a variety of conventional stresses; these were overrepresented for pathogen response rather than DNA metabolism. In contrast only HZE-irradiated plants at 1.5 h after irradiation exhibited an additional and very extensive transcriptional response shared with plants experiencing extended night. This response was not apparent in gamma-irradiated plants. We treated 5-day-old WT and atm-1 seedlings of Arabidopsis thaliana with 100 Gy of Gamma radiation (over a span of 15 minutes) or 30 Gy of HZE (over a span of approximately 12 minutes). Gamma irradiations were completed at 8:40 am while HZE irradiations were conducted in two runs (due to space limitations) which were completed at 1:09 and 1:28pm respectively. Gamma treated seedlings were sampled at 10:10 am 11:40 am 2:55 pm 8:40 pm and 8:40 am. HZE treated seedlings were sampled at 2:39 pm 4:09 pm 7:24 pm 1:09 am and 1:09 pm. Un-irradiated WT and atm-1 control seedlings were sampled at 10:45 am on Day #1 and 9:15 am on Day #2. There are a total of 22 experimental or control conditions with two replicates per condition yielding 44 samples overall.

We address a key baseline question of whether gene expression changes are induced by the orbital environment and then we ask whether undifferentiated cells cells presumably lacking the typical gravity response mechanisms perceive spaceflight. Arabidopsis seedlings and undifferentiated cultured Arabidopsis cells were launched in April 2010 as part of the BRIC-16 flight experiment on STS-131. Biologically replicated DNA microarray and averaged RNA digital transcript profiling revealed several hundred genes in seedlings and cell cultures that were significantly affected by launch and spaceflight. The response was moderate in seedlings; only a few genes were induced by more than 7-fold and the overall intrinsic expression level for most differentially expressed genes was low. In contrast cell cultures displayed a more dramatic response with dozens of genes showing this level of differential expression a list comprised primarily of heat shock-related and stress-related genes. This baseline transcriptome profiling of seedlings and cultured cells confirms the fundamental hypothesis that survival of the spaceflight environment requires adaptive changes that are both governed and displayed by alterations in gene expression. The comparison of intact plants with cultures of undifferentiated cells confirms a second hypothesis: undifferentiated cells can detect spaceflight in the absence of specialized tissue or organized developmental structures known to detect gravity.

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.

Gene expression profile of two-week-old etiolated Arabidopsis seedlings under microgravity on board space flight BRIC16 were compared with ground grown control in both wild-type and act2-3 mutant plants.

Gene expression profile of two-week-old etiolated Arabidopsis seedlings under microgravity on board space flight BRIC16 were compared with ground grown control in both wild-type and act2-3 mutant plants.

Transcriptional profiling of human lymphoblastoid TK6 cells comparing mock irradiated cells with cells exposed 24 hours previously to 1.67 Gy HZE (1 GeV/amu iron ions accelerated at the NASA Space Research Laboratory (NSRL) of Brookhaven National Laboratory) or 2.5 Gy 137Cs gamma rays. TK6 cells were mock irradiated or exposed to HZE or gamma-rays and RNA was harvested 24 hours later. 3 biological replicates were independently grown and harvested during three different runs at the NSRL. One replicate per array.

Transcriptional profiling of human lymphoblastoid TK6 cells comparing mock irradiated cells with cells exposed 24 hours previously to 1.67 Gy HZE (1 GeV/amu iron ions accelerated at the NASA Space Research Laboratory (NSRL) of Brookhaven National Laboratory) or 2.5 Gy 137Cs gamma rays. TK6 cells were mock irradiated or exposed to HZE or gamma-rays and RNA was harvested 24 hours later. 3 biological replicates were independently grown and harvested during three different runs at the NSRL. One replicate per array.

Transcriptional profiling of human lymphoblastoid TK6 cells comparing mock irradiated cells with cells exposed 24 hours previously to 1.67 Gy HZE (1 GeV/amu iron ions accelerated at the NASA Space Research Laboratory (NSRL) of Brookhaven National Laboratory) or 2.5 Gy 137Cs gamma rays. TK6 cells were mock irradiated or exposed to HZE or gamma-rays and RNA was harvested 24 hours later. 3 biological replicates were independently grown and harvested during three different runs at the NSRL. One replicate per array.