NASA Logo

NTRS

NTRS - NASA Technical Reports Server

Back to Results
Microbial Response to Microgravity and Other Low Shear EnvironmentsMicrobial existence and survival requires the ability to sense and respond to environmental changes, including changes in physical forces. This is because microbes inhabit an amazingly diverse range of ecological niches and therefore must constantly adapt to a wide variety of changing environmental conditions, including alterations in temperature, pH, nutrient availability, oxygen levels, and osmotic pressure gradients. Microbes sense their environment through a variety of sensors and receptors which serve to integrate the different signals into the appropriate cellular response(s) that is optimal for survival. While numerous environmental stimuli have been examined for their effect on microorganisms, effects due to changes in mechanical and/or physical forces are also becoming increasingly apparent. Recently, several important studies have demonstrated a key role for microgravity and the low fluid shear dynamics associated with microgravity in the regulation of microbial gene expression, physiology and pathogenesis. The mechanosensory response of microorganisms to these environmental signals, which are relevant to those encountered during microbial life cycles on Earth, may provide insight into their adaptations to physiologically relevant conditions and may ultimately lead to eludicidation of the mechanisms important for mechanosensory transduction in living cells. This review summarizes the recent and potential future research trends aimed at understanding the effect of changes in mechanical forces that occur in microgravity and other low shear environments on different microbial parameters. The results of these studies provide an important step towards understanding how microbes integrate information from multiple mechanical stimuli to an appropriate physiological response.
Document ID
20060023358
Acquisition Source
Johnson Space Center
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Nickerson, C.
(Tulane Univ. LA, United States)
Ott, C. Mark
(Wyle Labs., Inc. Houston, TX, United States)
Wilson, James W.
(Tulane Univ. LA, United States)
Ramamurthy, Rajee
(Tulane Univ. LA, United States)
Pierson, Duane L.
(NASA Johnson Space Center Houston, TX, United States)
Date Acquired
August 23, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 2004
Subject Category
Life Sciences (General)
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

Available Downloads

There are no available downloads for this record.
No Preview Available