Transcriptomic response of Drosophila melanogaster pupae developed in hypergravity. Drosophila melanogaster

Physical forces greatly influence the growth and function of an organism. Altered gravity can perturb normal development and induce corresponding changes in gene expression. Understanding this relationship between the physical and biological realms is important for NASA’s space travel goals. We use combined RNA-Seq and qRT-PCR to profile changes in early Drosophila melanogaster pupae exposed to chronic hypergravity (3 g, three times Earth’s gravity) to highlight gravity-dependent pathways and gene products. Robust transcriptional response was evident among the pupae developed in a hypergravity environment compared to control. 1,513 genes showed significantly (p < 0.05) altered gene expression in the 3 g samples. These findings were supported with qRT-PCR data. Major biological processes affected include ion transport, redox homeostasis, immune and humoral stress response, proteolysis, and cuticle development. Overall design: 8 poly(A)+ RNA libraries from wildtype Canton-S Drosophila melanogaster at early pupal stage P6 multiplexed and sequenced on one lane of the Illumina HiSeq-2000. 4 replicates of 4 pooled control pupae and 4 replicates of 4 pooled treatment pupae exposed to 3g gravitational force throughout development.