ARABIDOPSIS THALIANA IN SPACE: PERCEPTION OF GRAVITY, SIGNAL TRANSDUCTIONS AND
GRAVITRESPONSE IN HIGHER PLANTS (AT-SPACE)
Research Area: Plant Biology
Expedition(s): 16
Principal Investigator(s): ● Alexander Dovzhenko, PhD, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität
Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
● Klause Palme, PhD, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg,
Freiburg, Germany
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
The Arabidopsis thaliana in Space: Perception of Gravity, Signal
Transductions and Gravitresponse in Higher Plants (AT-Space) experiment
identifies plant gravity perception and signal transduction pathways on a
molecular level. This comprehensive research should reveal the crucial
factors controlling the gravity signal transduction cascade in arabidopsis
thaliana, or thale cress, a plant that is genetically related to soybeans,
cotton, vegetables, and oil seed crops
RESULTS
Data analysis of AT-Space samples revealed numerous genes affected by
microgravity. Gene network analysis revealed a hormonal cross-talk
between auxin, abscisic acid (ABA) and ethylene signaling pathways in
meadiating microgravity triggered stress responses, such as osmotic stress
and water deprivation and lipid metabolic changes in particular.
This investigation is complete and all results are published.
Image of
Arabidopsis thaliana
plant used in the AT-
Space investigation.
ESA image.