Effect of simulated microgravity on E. coli K12 MG1655 growth and gene expression

PLoS One. 2013;8(3):e57860. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0057860. Epub 2013 Mar 5.

Abstract

This study demonstrates the effects of simulated microgravity on E. coli K 12 MG1655 grown on LB medium supplemented with glycerol. Global gene expression analysis indicated that the expressions of hundred genes were significantly altered in simulated microgravity conditions compared to that of normal gravity conditions. Under these conditions genes coding for adaptation to stress are up regulated (sufE and ssrA) and simultaneously genes coding for membrane transporters (ompC, exbB, actP, mgtA, cysW and nikB) and carbohydrate catabolic processes (ldcC, ptsA, rhaD and rhaS) are down regulated. The enhanced growth in simulated gravity conditions may be because of the adequate supply of energy/reducing equivalents and up regulation of genes involved in DNA replication (srmB) and repression of the genes encoding for nucleoside metabolism (dfp, pyrD and spoT). In addition, E. coli cultured in LB medium supplemented with glycerol (so as to protect the cells from freezing temperatures) do not exhibit multiple stress responses that are normally observed when cells are exposed to microgravity in LB medium without glycerol.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Culture Media
  • Escherichia coli K12 / genetics
  • Escherichia coli K12 / growth & development*
  • Escherichia coli K12 / metabolism*
  • Escherichia coli Proteins / genetics
  • Escherichia coli Proteins / metabolism*
  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial*
  • Genes, Bacterial
  • Glycerol
  • Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis
  • Stress, Physiological
  • Weightlessness Simulation*

Substances

  • Culture Media
  • Escherichia coli Proteins
  • Glycerol

Grants and funding

The project was funded by ISRO, India up to March 2012. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.