Radiotolerance of N-cycle bacteria and their transcriptomic response to low-dose space-analogue ionizing irradiation

Tom Verbeelen; Celia Alvarez Fernandez; Thanh Huy Nguyen; Surya Gupta; Baptiste Leroy; Ruddy Wattiez; Siegfried E Vlaeminck; Natalie Leys; Ramon Ganigué; Felice Mastroleo

doi:10.1016/j.isci.2024.109596

Radiotolerance of N-cycle bacteria and their transcriptomic response to low-dose space-analogue ionizing irradiation

iScience. 2024 Mar 27;27(5):109596. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109596. eCollection 2024 May 17.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Nuclear Medical Applications (NMA), Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK CEN), Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol, Belgium.
² Center for Microbial Ecology and Technology (CMET), Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
³ Department of Proteomics and Microbiology, University of Mons, Av. Du Champs de Mars 6, 7000 Mons, Belgium.
⁴ Research Group of Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology, Department of Bioscience Engineering, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerp, Belgium.
⁵ Centre for Advanced Process Technology for Urban REsource Recovery (CAPTURE), Frieda Saeysstraat 1, 9052 Ghent, Belgium.

Abstract

The advancement of regenerative life support systems (RLSS) is crucial to allow long-distance space travel. Within the Micro-Ecological Life Support System Alternative (MELiSSA), efficient nitrogen recovery from urine and other waste streams is vital to produce liquid fertilizer to feed food and oxygen production in subsequent photoautotrophic processes. This study explores the effects of ionizing radiation on nitrogen cycle bacteria that transform urea to nitrate. In particular, we assess the radiotolerance of Comamonas testosteroni, Nitrosomonas europaea, and Nitrobacter winogradskyi after exposure to acute γ-irradiation. Moreover, a comprehensive whole transcriptome analysis elucidates the effects of spaceflight-analogue low-dose ionizing radiation on the individual axenic strains and on their synthetic community o. This research sheds light on how the spaceflight environment could affect ureolysis and nitrification processes from a transcriptomic perspective.

Keywords: Microbiology; Space sciences.