MicroRNAs shape mouse age-independent tissue adaptation to spaceflight via ECM and developmental pathways - Mesenteric Adipose Tissue (MAT) data

As human space exploration accelerates, understanding the organism-wide molecular effects of longer spaceflight in mammals becomes increasingly critical. Non-coding RNAs like miRNAs are key to regulating this landscape. We thus analyzed 686 small RNA samples of mice from 13 solid organs at 3 and 8 months of age, after at least 3 weeks on the ISS and compared them to earth-bound controls. We observed significant spaceflight effects in systemic tissue remodeling pathways along the Fat-Liver-Pancreas axis and in heart, brain, spleen and thymus. The MIR-17/92 and MIR-1/133 families drive distinct molecular changes through specific gene targeting. Age-dependent changes, smaller in magnitude compared to age-independent changes, primarily involved tissue remodeling through MIR-8, MIR-154 and MIR-15 families in MAT, pancreas, and diaphragm. Our findings provide evidence on how spaceflight regulates mammalian gene expression in preparation for interplanetary spaceflight. We sequenced 686 samples across 13 organs of young (3 months) and middle-aged (8 months) mice that were sent to the ISS (Flight). We compared them against mice living in standard conditions (Vivarium Ground Control) and mice living in an environment matched to ISS conditions (Habitat Ground Control). We euthanized mice at two time-points (matching timelines for controls and flight mice), one before returning to earth (TERM) and one after (LAR) in order to distinguish spaceflight-induced effects from the reentry-induced stress.

随着人类太空探索进程不断加速，阐明长期太空飞行对哺乳动物全身的分子影响变得愈发关键。非编码RNA（non-coding RNAs）如微小RNA（miRNAs）正是调控这一生物学过程的核心因子。本研究因此针对在国际空间站（ISS）驻留至少3周的小鼠展开分析，共纳入13种实体器官的686份小RNA样本，实验小鼠分为3月龄与8月龄两组，并与地面对照小鼠进行比对。研究团队观察到，太空飞行会显著影响脂肪-肝脏-胰腺轴相关的系统性组织重塑通路，同时对心脏、大脑、脾脏及胸腺也产生显著调控效应。MIR-17/92与MIR-1/133家族可通过靶向特定基因，引发特异性分子改变。相较于非年龄依赖的变化，年龄依赖的变化幅度相对较小，其主要通过MIR-8、MIR-154及MIR-15家族，在MAT、胰腺与膈肌中介导组织重塑过程。本研究结果为阐明太空飞行如何调控哺乳动物基因表达以适配行星际太空飞行任务提供了关键实验依据。本研究对送往国际空间站的飞行组（Flight）年轻（3月龄）与中年（8月龄）小鼠的13种器官共计686份样本进行了测序。研究团队将这些样本与三类对照小鼠进行比对：处于标准饲养环境中的小鼠（Vivarium Ground Control）、环境条件与国际空间站匹配的小鼠（Habitat Ground Control）。研究人员在两个时间点对小鼠实施安乐死：其一为返回地球前（TERM），其二为返回地球后（LAR），以此区分太空飞行诱导的生物学效应与重返地球引发的应激反应。