biology and biotechnology

Role of Apoptosis in Lymphocyte Depression (ROALD)

Research Area: Cellular Biology

Expedition(s): 18

Principal Investigator(s): ● Mauro Maccarrone, N. Battista , University of Teramo,

Teramo, Italy

● Natalia Battista, PhD, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy

RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

Role of Apoptosis in Lymphocyte Depression (ROALD) will

determine the contribution of programmed apoptosis

(cell death) in loss of T-lymphocyte (white blood cells

originating in the thymus) activity in microgravity.

RESULTS

In the postflight analysis, the following parameters

directly correlated to programmed cell death were

tested:

• Gene expression of calpain and p53


• 5-LOX protein expression and activity


• DeoxyriboNucleic Acid (DNA) fragmentation

The results demonstrated that exposure of human

lymphocytes to microgravity for 48 hours aboard the International Space Station (ISS)

remarkably increased apoptotic hallmarks such as Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) fragmentation

(~3-fold compared to ground-based controls) and cleaved-poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP)

protein expression (~3-fold), as well as mRNA levels of apoptosis-related markers such as p53

(~3-fold) and calpain (~4-fold); these changes were paralleled by an early increase of 5-LOX

activity (~2-fold). These findings provided a molecular background for the immune dysfunction

observed in astronauts during space missions, and revealed potential new markers to monitor

health status of ISS crew members.

PUBLICATION(S)

Battista N, Meloni MA, Bari M, et al. Five-Lipoxygenase-dependent apoptosis of human

lymphocytes in the International Space Station: Data from the ROALD experiment. Federation

of American Societies for Experimental Biology Journal. 2012;26(5):1791-1798. doi:

10.1096/fj.11-199406.

This investigation is complete and all results are published.

Model of microgravity-induced apoptosis in
human lymphocytes. ESA image.