title: Microgravity-driven remodeling of the proteome reveals insights into molecular mechanisms and signal networks involved in response to the space flight environment.
abstract: Space is a hostile environment characterized by high vacuum, extreme temperatures, meteoroids, space debris, ionospheric plasma, microgravity and space radiation, which all represent risks for human health. A deep understanding of the biological consequences of exposure to the space environment is required to design efficient countermeasures to minimize their negative impact on human health. Recently, proteomic approaches have received a significant amount of attention in the effort to further study microgravity-induced physiological changes. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge about the effects of microgravity on microorganisms (in particular Cupriavidus metallidurans CH34, Bacillus cereus and Rhodospirillum rubrum S1H), plants (whole plants, organs, and cell cultures), mammalian cells (endothelial cells, bone cells, chondrocytes, muscle cells, thyroid cancer cells, immune system cells) and animals (invertebrates, vertebrates and mammals). Herein, we describe their proteome's response to microgravity, focusing on proteomic discoveries and their future potential applications in space research.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Space experiments and operational flight experience have identified detrimental effects on human health and performance because of exposure to weightlessness, even when currently available countermeasures are implemented. Many experimental tools and methods have been developed to study microgravity induced physiological changes. Recently, genomic and proteomic approaches have received a significant amount of attention. This review summarizes the recent research studies of the proteome response to microgravity inmicroorganisms, plants, mammalians cells and animals. Current proteomic tools allow large-scale, high-throughput analyses for the detection, identification, and functional investigation of all proteomes. Understanding gene and/or protein expression is the key to unlocking the mechanisms behind microgravity-induced problems and to finding effective countermeasures to spaceflight-induced alterations but also for the study of diseases on earth. Future perspectives are also highlighted.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Crystallography, National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Via Salaria km 29.300, 00015 Monterotondo Scalo, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rea
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Medicine, Center for Health Technologies (CHT), University of Pavia, Via Taramelli 3/b, 27100 Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cristofaro
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Via D. Trentacoste 2, 20134 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pani
authors.affiliation: Institute of Crystallography, National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Via Salaria km 29.300, 00015 Monterotondo Scalo, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pascucci
authors.affiliation: Institute of Crystallography, National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Via Salaria km 29.300, 00015 Monterotondo Scalo, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Sandip A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Ghuge
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Via D. Trentacoste 2, 20134 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Paola Antonia
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Corsetto
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Experimental Medicine and Forensics, University of Pavia, V.le Forlanini 8, Pavia, Italy; Department of Occupational Medicine, Toxicology and Environmental Risks, S. Maugeri Foundation, IRCCS, Via S. Boezio 28, 27100 Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: Marcello
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Imbriani
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Medicine, Center for Health Technologies (CHT), University of Pavia, Via Taramelli 3/b, 27100 Pavia, Italy; Department of Occupational Medicine, Toxicology and Environmental Risks, S. Maugeri Foundation, IRCCS, Via S. Boezio 28, 27100 Pavia, Italy. Electronic address: livia.visai@unipv.it.
authors.forename: Livia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Visai
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Via D. Trentacoste 2, 20134 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Angela M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Rizzo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D020543:Proteome / Q000378:metabolism*; D013026:Space Flight; D014893:Weightlessness
chemical_list: D020543:Proteome
keywords: Adaptive and defense responses; Microgravity (μg); Proteomic approaches; Space flight