Proteomic Signature of Arabidopsis Cell Cultures Exposed to Magnetically Induced Hyper- and Microgravity Environments

Abstract

Earth-based microgravity simulation techniques are required due to space research constraints. Using diamagnetic levitation, we exposed Arabidopsis thaliana in vitro callus cultures to environments with different levels of effective gravity and magnetic field strengths (B) simultaneously. The environments included simulated 0g* at B=10.1 T, an internal 1g* control (B=16.5 T), and hypergravity (2g* at B=10.1 T). Furthermore, samples were also exposed to altered gravity environments that were created with mechanical devices, such as the Random Positioning Machine (simulated μg) and the Large Diameter Centrifuge (2g). We have determined the proteomic signature of cell cultures exposed to these altered-gravity environments by means of the difference gel electrophoresis (DiGE) technique, and we have compared the results with microarray-based transcriptomes from the same samples. The magnetic field itself produced a low number of proteomic alterations, but the combination of gravitational alteration and magnetic field exposure produced synergistic effects on the proteome of plants (the number of significant changes is 3–7 times greater). Tandem mass spectrometry identification of 19 overlapping spots in the different conditions corroborates a major role of abiotic stress and secondary metabolism proteins in the molecular adaptation of plants to unusual environments, including microgravity. Key Words: DiGE—Microgravity simulation—Magnetic levitation—Proteome/transcriptome comparison—Callus cell cultures. Astrobiology 13, 217–224.