@article{cff1751637684a4089277939cfa2a654,
title = "Loss of physical contact in space alters the dopamine system in C. elegans",
abstract = "Progressive neuromuscular decline in microgravity is a prominent health concern preventing interplanetary human habitation. We establish functional dopamine-mediated impairments as a consistent feature across multiple spaceflight exposures and during simulated microgravity in C. elegans. Animals grown continuously in these conditions display reduced movement and body length. Loss of mechanical contact stimuli in microgravity elicits decreased endogenous dopamine and comt-4 (catechol-O-methyl transferase) expression levels. The application of exogenous dopamine reverses the movement and body length defects caused by simulated microgravity. In addition, increased physical contact made comt-4 and dopamine levels rise. It also increased muscular cytoplasmic Ca2+ firing. In dop-3 (D2-like receptor) mutants, neither decrease in movement nor in body length were observed during simulated microgravity growth. These results strongly suggest that targeting the dopamine system through manipulation of the external environment (contact stimuli) prevents muscular changes and is a realistic and viable treatment strategy to promote safe human deep-space travel.",
keywords = "Aerospace Engineering, Space medicine",
author = "Surabhi Sudevan and Kasumi Muto and Nahoko Higashitani and Toko Hashizume and Akira Higashibata and Ellwood, {Rebecca A.} and Deane, {Colleen S.} and Mizanur Rahman and Vanapalli, {Siva A.} and Timothy Etheridge and Szewczyk, {Nathaniel J.} and Atsushi Higashitani",
note = "Funding Information: We are grateful to the entire crew of the CERISE, EPIGENETICS, and MME spaceflight experiment for their work on STS-129, STS-130, and the ISS. The CERISE and EPIGENETICS were organized with the support of the JAXA , and the MME was organized with the support of the UK and ESA space agencies . This experiment was supported by the Cell Biology Experiment Project conducted by the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science in JAXA, and was also supported by grants from the MEXT , the JSPS , the SIP program, and the JSF , Japan. JSPS KAKENHI grants 26506029 , 15H05937 , and Advanced Research and Development Programs for Medical Innovation, AMED -CREST ( 16814305 ) (SS, KM, NH, TH, AH, AH). Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council grants BB/N015894/1 and BB/P025781/1 (TE, NJS, CSD). UK Space Agency and the Science and Technology Facilities Council grant ST/R005737/1 (TE, NJS, CSD). National Institutes of Health grant NIH NIAMS ARO54342 (NJS). Medical Research Council grant MR/T026014/1 (CSD). Funding Information: We are grateful to the entire crew of the CERISE, EPIGENETICS, and MME spaceflight experiment for their work on STS-129, STS-130, and the ISS. The CERISE and EPIGENETICS were organized with the support of the JAXA, and the MME was organized with the support of the UK and ESA space agencies. This experiment was supported by the Cell Biology Experiment Project conducted by the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science in JAXA, and was also supported by grants from the MEXT, the JSPS, the SIP program, and the JSF, Japan. JSPS KAKENHI grants 26506029, 15H05937, and Advanced Research and Development Programs for Medical Innovation,AMED-CREST (16814305) (SS, KM, NH, TH, AH, AH). Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council grants BB/N015894/1 and BB/P025781/1 (TE, NJS, CSD). UK Space Agency and the Science and Technology Facilities Council grant ST/R005737/1 (TE, NJS, CSD). National Institutes of Health grant NIH NIAMS ARO54342 (NJS). Medical Research Council grant MR/T026014/1 (CSD). Higashitani A designed the research and was the principal investigator of the JAXA spaceflight experiments, CERISE, and the EPIGENETICS. Higashibata A supervised the JAXA spaceflight experiments. Etheridge T and Szewczyk NJ were the principal investigators of MME flight experiment. Deane CS supported the MME spaceflight experiment. Sudevan S, Muto K, Higashitani N, Hashizume T, and Higashitani A contributed equally to perform molecular, biochemical, cytological, and physiological experiments. Ellwood RA, Rahman M, and Vanapalli SA supported some parts of experiments. Sudevan S, Etheridge T, Szewczyk NJ, and Higashitani A wrote the paper. All authors read and approved the final paper. Authors declare that they have no competing interests. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022 The Author(s)",
year = "2022",
month = feb,
day = "18",
doi = "10.1016/j.isci.2022.103762",
language = "English",
volume = "25",
journal = "iScience",
issn = "2589-0042",
publisher = "Elsevier Inc.",
number = "2",
}
