Exploration of the Cellular Response to Microgravity in Xenopus Cultured Cells

Abstract

To elucidate the health problems caused by life in space, it is essential to understand the effect of microgravity on the molecular mechanisms of living cells. In our ground-based research using Xenopus A6 and A8 cell lines, suppression of ‘dome’ formation was observed in A6 cell line under simulated-microgravity conditions as compared to normal gravity conditions. Moreover, expression of various genes was affected by simulated-microgravity in A6 and A8 cell lines. These findings suggest that microgravity may affect cell morphology and gene expression during a space flight. Our studies will contribute significantly to the understanding of cellular responses and organ functions in space.