Table_6_The International Space Station Environment Triggers Molecular Responses in Aspergillus niger.DOCX

Due to immense phenotypic plasticity and adaptability, Aspergillus niger is a cosmopolitan fungus that thrives in versatile environments, including the International Space Station (ISS). This is the first report of genomic, proteomic, and metabolomic alterations observed in A. niger strain JSC-093350089 grown in a controlled experiment aboard the ISS. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) revealed that ISS conditions, including microgravity and enhanced irradiation, triggered non-synonymous point mutations in specific regions, chromosomes VIII and XII of the JSC-093350089 genome when compared to the ground-grown control. Proteome analysis showed altered abundance of proteins involved in carbohydrate metabolism, stress response, and cellular amino acid and protein catabolic processes following growth aboard the ISS. Metabolome analysis further confirmed that space conditions altered molecular suite of ISS-grown A. niger JSC-093350089. After regrowing both strains on Earth, production of antioxidant—Pyranonigrin A was significantly induced in the ISS-flown, but not the ground control strain. In summary, the microgravity and enhanced irradiation triggered unique molecular responses in the A. niger JSC-093350089 suggesting adaptive responses.

鉴于其显著的表型可塑性和适应性，黑曲霉（Aspergillus niger）是一种全球性真菌，能够在多种环境中繁衍生息，包括国际空间站（ISS）。本研究首次报告了在ISS上进行的有控制实验中，黑曲霉菌株JSC-093350089的基因组、蛋白质组和代谢组发生的变化。全基因组测序（WGS）揭示了与地面培养的对照组相比，ISS环境，包括微重力和增强的辐射，在JSC-093350089基因组中特定的区域，即第八和第十二染色体上引发了非同义点突变。蛋白质组分析显示，在ISS上生长后，参与碳水化合物代谢、应激反应以及细胞内氨基酸和蛋白质分解代谢过程的蛋白质丰度发生了改变。代谢组分析进一步证实，空间条件改变了在ISS上生长的黑曲霉JSC-093350089的分子组群。在地球重新培养这两种菌株后，ISS飞行的菌株中抗氧化剂——吡喃黑曲霉素A的产生显著增加，而地面对照组则没有。总之，微重力和增强的辐射在黑曲霉JSC-093350089中触发了独特的分子反应，这表明了其适应性响应。