Transcriptional profiling of lungs from mice flown on the RR-10 mission

The objective of the Rodent Research-10 mission (RR-10) was to investigate how spaceflight affects the cellular and molecular mechanisms of normal bone tissue regeneration in space. To this end, ten (10) 14-15 weeks-old female B6129SF2/J Wild Type (WT), and ten (10) 14-15 weeks-old female B6;129S2-Cdkn1atm1Tyj/J (p21-null) mice received a pre-flight subcutaneous injection of the bone marker (Alizarin Red), and were then delivered to the ISS aboard SpaceX-21. At 7 days before euthanasia, all 20 mice received an intraperitoneal (IP) injection with a bone formation marker (Calcein). At 48 +/- 2 hours before euthanasia, all 20 mice received an IP injection with a second dose of Calcein as well as a cell proliferation marker (BrdU). Then, following 28-29 days in microgravity, the Flight mice were euthanized. Following removal of hindlimbs, carcasses were wrapped in aluminum foil, preserved in the CryoChiller, and stored at -80 C or colder until return to Earth. In addition to the Flight group, three ground control groups were also part of the study: Basal (representing the pre-launch state), Vivarium (standard vivarium housing for the same duration of time as flight), and Ground (flight habitat in the International Space Station Environment Simulator, ISSES). Twenty mice (10 of each strain) were included in each of these control groups (except Vivarium which included 12 of each strain). These were treated, euthanized and processed on the same schedule and in the same manner as the flight samples. This study includes bulk RNA sequencing ribodepleted gene expression data from the lungs of 12 Basal animals (6 WT and 6 p21-null), 10 Flight animals (5 WT and 5 p21-null), 10 Ground animals (5 WT and 5 p21-null), and 10 Vivarium animals (5 WT and 5 p21-null).