Proteomics and genomics of microgravity

Physiol Genomics. 2006 Aug 16;26(3):163-71. doi: 10.1152/physiolgenomics.00323.2005. Epub 2006 May 16.

Abstract

Many serious adverse physiological changes occur during spaceflight. In the search for underlying mechanisms and possible new countermeasures, many experimental tools and methods have been developed to study microgravity caused physiological changes, ranging from in vitro bioreactor studies to spaceflight investigations. Recently, genomic and proteomic approaches have gained a lot of attention; after major scientific breakthroughs in the fields of genomics and proteomics, they are now widely accepted and used to understand biological processes. Understanding gene and/or protein expression is the key to unfolding the mechanisms behind microgravity-induced problems and, ultimately, finding effective countermeasures to spaceflight-induced alterations. Significant progress has been made in identifying the genes/proteins responsible for these changes. Although many of these genes and/or proteins were observed to be either upregulated or downregulated, however, no large-scale genomics and proteomics studies have been published so far. This review aims at summarizing the current status of microgravity-related genomics and proteomics studies and stimulating large-scale proteomics and genomics research activities.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bone and Bones / cytology
  • Bone and Bones / metabolism
  • Genomics / methods*
  • Humans
  • Immune System / cytology
  • Immune System / metabolism
  • Muscle Cells / cytology
  • Muscle Cells / metabolism
  • Nervous System / cytology
  • Nervous System / metabolism
  • Proteomics / methods*
  • Space Flight
  • Weightlessness*