Sperm under Simulated Microgravity and a Hypomagnetic Field: Motility and Cell Respiration.

The role of the Earth's gravitational and magnetic fields in the evolution and maintenance of normal processes of various animal species remains unclear. The aim of this work was to determine the effect of simulated microgravity and hypomagnetic conditions for 1, 3, and 6 h on the sperm motility of the fruit fly . In addition to the usual diet, the groups were administered oral essential phospholipids at a dosage of 500 mg/kg in medium.

Testes and duct deferens of mice during space flight: cytoskeleton structure, sperm-specific proteins and epigenetic events.

To analyze the effect of gravity on the structure of germinal tissues, we examined tissues of the testes and duct deferens of mice that were exposed to space flight conditions for 21-24 days (experiment Rodent Research-4, SpaceX-10 mission, February 2017, USA). We evaluated the levels of cytoskeletal proteins, sperm-specific proteins, and epigenetic events; in particular, we evaluated levels of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine and of enzymes that regulate DNA methylation/demethylation. We did not detect changes in the levels of cytoskeletal proteins, sperm-specific proteins, DNA-methylases, DNA demethylases, DNA acetylases, or histone deacetylases.

Molecular Cytogenetics of L. Grown under Spaceflight-Related Stress.

The ontogenesis and reproduction of plants cultivated aboard a spacecraft occur inside the unique closed ecological system wherein plants are subjected to serious abiotic stresses. For the first time, a comparative molecular cytogenetic analysis of L. () grown on board the RS ISS during the Expedition-14 and Expedition-16 and also plants of their succeeding (F1 and F2) generations cultivated on Earth was performed in order to reveal possible structural chromosome changes in the pea genome.

Cytoskeleton structure and total methylation of mouse cardiac and lung tissue during space flight.

The purpose of this work was to evaluate the protein and mRNA expression levels of multiple cytoskeletal proteins in the cardiac and lung tissue of mice that were euthanized onboard the United States Orbital Segment of the International Space Station 37 days after the start of the SpaceX-4 mission (September 2014, USA). The results showed no changes in the cytoskeletal protein content in the cardiac and lung tissue of the mice, but there were significant changes in the mRNA expression levels of the associated genes, which may be due to an increase in total genome methylation. The mRNA expression levels of DNA methylases, the cytosine demethylases Tet1 and Tet3, histone acetylase and histone deacetylase did not change, and the mRNA expression level of cytosine demethylase Tet2 was significantly decreased.

Oxidative stress and antioxidant capacity in barley grown under space environment.

The gene expression and enzyme activity of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and ascorbate peroxidase in the space-grown barley were not significantly different from those of the ground-grown barley. Cu2+ reducing and radical scavenging activities in an extract of the space-grown barley were lower than those of the ground-grown barley by 0.7 fold, suggesting that the space environment does not induce oxidative stress, and reduces antioxidant capacity in plants.