![Sample our Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing & Allied Health journals, sign in here to start your FREE access for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5944/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Medicine-Dentistry-Nursing-Allied-Health.jpg"})
Abstract
Purpose: Long-term space exploration requires biological life support systems capable of coping with the deleterious space environment. The use of oxygenic photosynthetic microorganisms represents an intriguing topic in this context, mainly from the point of view of food and O2 production. The aim of the present study was to assess the effects of space ionizing radiation exposure on the photosynthetic activity of various microorganisms.
Materials and methods: Ground-based irradiation experiments were performed using fast neutrons and gamma rays on microorganisms maintained at various light conditions. A stratospheric balloon and a European Space Agency (ESA) flight facility were used to deliver organisms to space at the altitude of 38 and 300 km, respectively. During the balloon flight, the fluorescence activity of the organisms was real-time monitored by means of a special biosensor.
Results: The quantum yield of Photosystem II (PSII), measured directly in flight, varied among the microorganisms depending on the light conditions. Darkness and irradiation of cells at 120 and 180 μmol m−2 s−1 enhanced the radiation-induced inhibition of photosynthetic activity, while exposure to weaker light irradiance of 20 and 70 μmol m−2 s−1 protected the cells against damage. Cell permanence in space reduced the photosynthetic growth while the oxygen evolution capacity of the cells after the flight was enhanced.
Conclusions: A potential role of PSII in capturing and utilizing ionizing radiation energy is postulated.
| Abbreviations | ||
| D1 and D2 | = | main proteins of Photosystem II core |
| F0 | = | basic fluorescence |
| Fm | = | maximum fluorescence |
| Fv | = | variable fluorescence |
| Fv/Fm | = | maximum potential quantum yield of PSII in dark-adapted cells |
| PAR | = | photosynthetically active radiation in the range 400-750 nm |
| PSII | = | Photosystem II |
| Pheo− | = | reduced pheophytin |
| Abbreviations | ||
| D1 and D2 | = | main proteins of Photosystem II core |
| F0 | = | basic fluorescence |
| Fm | = | maximum fluorescence |
| Fv | = | variable fluorescence |
| Fv/Fm | = | maximum potential quantum yield of PSII in dark-adapted cells |
| PAR | = | photosynthetically active radiation in the range 400-750 nm |
| PSII | = | Photosystem II |
| Pheo− | = | reduced pheophytin |