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Abstract
Proteomics is performed in microgravity research in order to determine protein alterations occurring qualitatively and quantitatively, when single cells or whole organisms are exposed to real or simulated microgravity. To this purpose, antibody-dependent (Western blotting, flow cytometry, Luminex® technology) and antibody-independent (mass spectrometry, gene array) techniques are applied. The anticipated findings will help to understand microgravity-specific behavior, which has been observed in bacteria, as well as in plant, animal and human cells. To date, the analyses revealed that cell cultures are more sensitive to microgravity than cells embedded in organisms and that proteins changing under microgravity are highly interactive. Furthermore, one has to distinguish between primary gravity-induced and subsequent interaction-dependent changes of proteins, as well as between direct microgravity-related effects and indirect stress responses. Progress in this field will impact on tissue engineering and medicine and will uncover possibilities of counteracting alterations of protein expression at lowered gravity.
Acknowledgements
D Grimm gratefully acknowledges support from the German Space Agency DLR (grants 50WB0524; 50WB0824; 50WB1124) and M Lebert acknowledges support from the German Space Agency DLR on behalf of the BMBF (50WB1228).
Financial & competing interests disclosure
The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.
The writing assistance (English editing) of Expert Reviews of Proteomics was utilized in the production of this manuscript.
Key issues
Proteome analysis is performed in microgravity research in order to understand the effects of microgravity on biological systems.
Antibody-dependent techniques of proteomics such as western blotting, flow cytometry and Luminex technology are useful in quantifying the proteins.
Antibody-independent techniques of proteomics such as mass spectrometry are helpful in gaining a comprehensive overview.
Simulated and real microgravity should be applied to identify and quantify microgravity-dependent protein alterations.
It is important to distinguish between primary gravity-induced and subsequent interaction-dependent changes of proteins as well as between direct microgravity-related effects and indirect stress responses.
Analyses of more general patterns of observed response to microgravity (e.g., stress response, effects on carbohydrate metabolism) and more individual species/cell type-specific responses are important to identify a possible common underlying mechanism how complex organisms like humans, animals, plants and microorganisms react to changes in gravity forces.
Proteomics data gained in space research is of interest to improve journeys to microgravity and to promote medical and biotechnological issues on the Earth. The knowledge from microgravity-induced transition from 2D to 3D growth may be applied in cancer research and tissue engineering.