title: Gravity effects on connective tissue biosynthesis by cultured mesenchymal cells.
abstract: Quantitative and qualitative aspects of collagen synthesis under microgravity, normal gravity and hypergravity conditions were investigated during the spacelab D-2 mission by incubating human fibroblast cultures with [3H]-proline for 0, 4, 7, 10 and 20 hours. Quantitative analysis revealed an increase of collagen synthesis under microgravity conditions, being 40% higher than 1g controls. Hypergravity samples at 1.44g, 6.6g and 10g showed a decrease in collagen synthesis with increasing g, being down to about 15% at 10g. The relative proportion of collagen from total protein synthesized, the secretion of collagen by the cells, proline hydroxylation of individual collagen alpha-chains and the relative proportions of collagens I, III and V synthesized were not affected at any of the applied conditions.
authors.affiliation: Institut fur Medizinische Molekularbiologie, Medizinische Universitat zu Lubeck, Germany.
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Seitzer
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bodo
authors.forename: P K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Muller
mesh_terms: D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003094:Collagen / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005347:Fibroblasts; D006801:Humans; D006909:Hydroxyproline / Q000378:metabolism*; D018471:Hypergravity; D011392:Proline / Q000378:metabolism; D012867:Skin / Q000166:cytology; D013026:Space Flight; D013997:Time Factors; D014893:Weightlessness
chemical_list: D003094:Collagen; D011392:Proline; D006909:Hydroxyproline