This study tested the hypothesis that transcription of immediate early genes is inhibited in T cells activated in microgravity (uG). Immunosuppression during spaceflight is a major barrier to safe long-term human space habitation and travel. The goals of these experiments were to prove that uG was the cause of impaired T cell activation during spaceflight as well as understand the mechanisms controlling early T cell activation. T cells from 4 human donors were stimulated with concanavalin A (ConA) and anti-CD28 onboard the International Space Station (ISS). An onboard centrifuge was used to generate a 1g simultaneous control to isolate the effects of uG from other variables of spaceflight. Microarray expression analysis after 1.5 hours of activation demonstrated that mg- and 1g-activated T cells had distinct patterns of global gene expression and identified 47 genes that were significantly differentially down-regulated in uG. Importantly several key immediate early genes were inhibited in uG. T cells were isolated from human volunteers. T cells from each donor were kept separate and loaded into individual chambers in separate cassettes for the following treatments: uG non-activated uG activated and 1g activated. Therefore samples represent biological triplicates. Experimental units were launched into space and placed into the KUBIK facility onboard the International Space Station. The 1g units were placed in the central centrifuge positions and centrifuged with an applied 1g force. The uG units were place in the static positions for continued uG exposure. After 30 minutes of pre-incubation uG non-activated units were fixed by addition of RNALater (QIAGEN Valencia CA) removed from the incubator and stored in 4 xc2 xb0C. The uG and 1g activated units were injected with final concentration 10mg/ml Con A and 4mg/ml anti-CD28. These cassettes were replaced into KUBIK on either the centrifuge or static positions and activated for 1.5 hours. Activation was stopped with the addition of RNALater and the units were then moved to 4 xc2 xb0C storage. All units were returned to Earth for analysis.

The purpose of this study was to search for microgravity-sensitive genes specifically for apoptotic genes influenced by the microgravity environment and other genes related to immune response. Experiment Overall Design: Two-group design with paired samples i.e. one 1G and one MMG culture came from the same donor. Therefore 6 samples came from 3 different donors. Experiment Overall Design: Donor 1 :GSM96146,GSM96147 Experiment Overall Design: Donor 2: GSM96148 GSM96149 Experiment Overall Design: Donor 3: GSM96150,GSM96151 Experiment Overall Design: Total RNA was submitted to and then labeled hybridized and data generated by the Baylor College Medicine Microarray Core Facility (333E One Baylor Plaza Houston TX 77030).

The purpose of this study was to search for microgravity-sensitive genes specifically for apoptotic genes influenced by the microgravity environment and other genes related to immune response. Experiment Overall Design: Two-group design with paired samples i.e. one 1G and one MMG culture came from the same donor. Therefore 6 samples came from 3 different donors. Experiment Overall Design: Donor 1 :GSM96146,GSM96147 Experiment Overall Design: Donor 2: GSM96148 GSM96149 Experiment Overall Design: Donor 3: GSM96150,GSM96151 Experiment Overall Design: Total RNA was submitted to and then labeled hybridized and data generated by the Baylor College Medicine Microarray Core Facility (333E One Baylor Plaza Houston TX 77030).

We investigated differentially regulated genes in human Jurkat T lymphocytic cells in 20s and 5min microgravity and in hypergravity and compared expression profiles to identify potential gravity-regulated genes and adaptation processes.

We investigated differentially regulated and stably expressed genes in human Jurkat T lymphocytic cells in 5min simulated microgravity and hypergravity and compared expression profiles to identify gravity-regulated and unaffected genes as well as adaptation processes. This dataset is part of a series of three and the other two datasets are deposited in GLDS-172 and GLDS-188.

We investigated differentially regulated genes in human Jurkat T lymphocytic cells in 20s and 5min microgravity and in hypergravity and compared expression profiles to identify potential gravity-regulated genes and adaptation processes.

We investigated differentially regulated genes in human Jurkat T lymphocytic cells in 20s and 5min microgravity and in hypergravity and compared expression profiles to identify potential gravity-regulated genes and adaptation processes. This dataset is part of a series of three and the other two datasets are deposited in GLDS-188 and GLDS-189.

We investigated differentially regulated genes in human Jurkat T lymphocytic cells in 20s and 5min microgravity and in hypergravity and compared expression profiles to identify potential gravity-regulated genes and adaptation processes. This dataset is part of a series of three and the other two datasets are deposited in GLDS-172 and GLDS-189.

With technological advancements, human's desire to explore space is growing and more people are staying longer at the international space station (ISS). The impact of microgravity on stem cells (SC) is not fully understood. We explored the impact of microgravity on gene expression profile of cultured mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) at the ISS. We also evaluated how the new knowledge gained sheds light on our understanding of human physiology on Earth. Primary cultures of MSCs were expanded at the ISS for 1 or 2 weeks and mRNA was isolated from samples of the cultured cells. Gene expression profiles were determined and compared with samples from real-time ground control cultures. Differential gene expression, gene set enrichment analysis and determination of key genes were performed that revealed for the first time the existence of potential 'master regulators' coordinating a systemic response to microgravity. Cyclin D1 (CCND1), a protein-coding gene that regulates cell cycle progression and CDK kinases, was identified as the most connected regulator at week 1. Further analysis showed the impacted genes from cultured MSCs significantly correlated with known gene pathways associated with cell division, chromosomal segregation and nuclear division, extracellular matrix structure and organization, muscle apoptosis and differentiation. This study exemplifies the utility of space research to advance our understanding of human physiology both on Earth and in space. To investigate the effects of microgravity on MSC growth and understand the differences in gene expression profiles between microgravity and ground control environments, two groups of MSC were sent to the ISS. One group was cultured for one week, while the other was cultured for two weeks, with corresponding control groups processed similarly on Earth. The cells were then preserved and transferred back to the laboratory. Further Gene expression profiles were compared between samples to identify differentially expressed genes.

The microgravity environment aboard the International Space Station (ISS) provides a unique stressor that can help understand underlying cellular and molecular drivers of pathological changes observed in astronauts with the ultimate goals of developing strategies to enable long- term spaceflight and better treatment of diseases on Earth. We used this unique environment to evaluate the effects of microgravity on kidney proximal tubule epithelial cell (PTEC) response to serum exposure and vitaminD biotransformation capacity. To test if microgravity alters the pathologic response of the proximal tubule to serum exposure, we treated PTECs cultured in a microphysiological system (PT-MPS) with human serum and measured biomarkers of toxicity and inflammation (KIM-1 and IL-6) and conducted global transcriptomics via RNAseq on cells undergoing flight (microgravity) and respective controls(ground). Given the profound bone loss observed in microgravity and PTECs produce the active form of vitamin D, we treated 3D cultured PTECs with 25(OH)D 3 (vitamin D) and monitored vitamin D metabolite formation, conducted global transcriptomics via RNAseq, and evaluated transcript expression of CYP27B1, CYP24A1, or CYP3A5 in PTECs undergoing flight (microgravity) and respective ground controls. We demonstrated that microgravity neither altered PTEC metabolism of vitamin D nor did it induce a unique response of PTECs to human serum, suggesting that these fundamental biochemical pathways in the kidney proximal tubule are not significantly altered by short-term exposure to microgravity. Given the prospect of extended spaceflight, more study is needed to determine if these responses are consistent with extended (greater than 6 months) exposure to microgravity.