Investigation of molecular mechanisms underlying the alterations in host-pathogen interaction during spaceflight – Publicly Invited Research 2016－2017

  1. A01 Akiyama
  2. A01 Ochi
  3. A01 Chatani
  4. A01 Seiki
  5. A01 Nikawa
  6. A01 Kawakami
  7. A01 Tomita
  8. A01 Honda
  1. A02 Shinohara
  2. A02 Maekawa
  3. A02 Ohgami
  4. A02 Nishimura
  5. A02 Kawano
  6. A02 Iwase
  7. A02 Furuichi
  8. A02 Myung
  9. A02 Kitamura
  1. A03 Nakamura
  2. A03 Harada
  3. A03 Ide
  4. A03 Shirai
  5. A03 Kakinuma
  1. B01 Lazarus
  2. B01 Miwa
  3. B01 Kunieda
  4. B01 Shimada
  5. B01 Kitaya
  6. B01 Sawano
Research Subject Investigation of molecular mechanisms underlying the alterations in host-pathogen interaction during spaceflight
Research Group Leader
Mutsunori Shirai
  • Mutsunori Shirai
    Professor, Vice-president, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine
    Website
    http://
Research Collaborator(s)
  • Yoichi Asaoka
    Assistant Professor, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine

Bacterial infection is one of the risk factors that may seriously impact astronaut health during spaceflight missions. Recent studies have reported that spaceflight induces changes in bacterial virulence, suggesting alterations in host-pathogen interaction under microgravity conditions. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms that determine how microgravity affects the relationship between host and pathogen. In this project, we aim to clarify the molecular basis of how microgravity can alter the host-pathogen interaction by using a human organoid and small fish (medaka) as model systems.

Our research approach involves the following three steps: (1) RNA-seq analysis of a bacterial infected organoid in the microgravity environment, (2) RNA-seq analysis of the bacterial infected medaka and virulence analysis of the bacterial pathogen under microgravity conditions, and (3) identification of the signaling pathway responsible for the host-pathogen interaction under microgravity conditions, by comparing the transcriptome between the human organoid and medaka.