The Impacts of Microgravity on Bacterial Metabolism
The inside of a space-faring vehicle provides a set of conditions unlike anything experienced by bacteria on Earth. The low-shear, diffusion-limited microenvironment with accompanying high levels of ionizing radiation create high stress in bacterial cells, and results in many physiological adaptatio...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-05-01
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| Series: | Life |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/12/6/774 |
| _version_ | 1797485202650431488 |
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| author | Gayatri Sharma Patrick D. Curtis |
| author_facet | Gayatri Sharma Patrick D. Curtis |
| author_sort | Gayatri Sharma |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The inside of a space-faring vehicle provides a set of conditions unlike anything experienced by bacteria on Earth. The low-shear, diffusion-limited microenvironment with accompanying high levels of ionizing radiation create high stress in bacterial cells, and results in many physiological adaptations. This review gives an overview of the effect spaceflight in general, and real or simulated microgravity in particular, has on primary and secondary metabolism. Some broad trends in primary metabolic responses can be identified. These include increases in carbohydrate metabolism, changes in carbon substrate utilization range, and changes in amino acid metabolism that reflect increased oxidative stress. However, another important trend is that there is no universal bacterial response to microgravity, as different bacteria often have contradictory responses to the same stress. This is exemplified in many of the observed secondary metabolite responses where secondary metabolites may have increased, decreased, or unchanged production in microgravity. Different secondary metabolites in the same organism can even show drastically different production responses. Microgravity can also impact the production profile and localization of secondary metabolites. The inconsistency of bacterial responses to real or simulated microgravity underscores the importance of further research in this area to better understand how microbes can impact the people and systems aboard spacecraft. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T23:16:24Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-36409cf2dcf54b009a4cc35829f06e59 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-1729 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T23:16:24Z |
| publishDate | 2022-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Life |
| spelling | doaj.art-36409cf2dcf54b009a4cc35829f06e592023-11-23T17:35:13ZengMDPI AGLife2075-17292022-05-0112677410.3390/life12060774The Impacts of Microgravity on Bacterial MetabolismGayatri Sharma0Patrick D. Curtis1Department of Biology, University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677, USADepartment of Biology, University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677, USAThe inside of a space-faring vehicle provides a set of conditions unlike anything experienced by bacteria on Earth. The low-shear, diffusion-limited microenvironment with accompanying high levels of ionizing radiation create high stress in bacterial cells, and results in many physiological adaptations. This review gives an overview of the effect spaceflight in general, and real or simulated microgravity in particular, has on primary and secondary metabolism. Some broad trends in primary metabolic responses can be identified. These include increases in carbohydrate metabolism, changes in carbon substrate utilization range, and changes in amino acid metabolism that reflect increased oxidative stress. However, another important trend is that there is no universal bacterial response to microgravity, as different bacteria often have contradictory responses to the same stress. This is exemplified in many of the observed secondary metabolite responses where secondary metabolites may have increased, decreased, or unchanged production in microgravity. Different secondary metabolites in the same organism can even show drastically different production responses. Microgravity can also impact the production profile and localization of secondary metabolites. The inconsistency of bacterial responses to real or simulated microgravity underscores the importance of further research in this area to better understand how microbes can impact the people and systems aboard spacecraft.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/12/6/774primary metabolismsecondary metabolismspaceflightradiationmicrogravity |
| spellingShingle | Gayatri Sharma Patrick D. Curtis The Impacts of Microgravity on Bacterial Metabolism Life primary metabolism secondary metabolism spaceflight radiation microgravity |
| title | The Impacts of Microgravity on Bacterial Metabolism |
| title_full | The Impacts of Microgravity on Bacterial Metabolism |
| title_fullStr | The Impacts of Microgravity on Bacterial Metabolism |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Impacts of Microgravity on Bacterial Metabolism |
| title_short | The Impacts of Microgravity on Bacterial Metabolism |
| title_sort | impacts of microgravity on bacterial metabolism |
| topic | primary metabolism secondary metabolism spaceflight radiation microgravity |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/12/6/774 |
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