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Spaceflight‐associated changes in immunoglobulin VH gene expression in the amphibian Pleurodeles waltl
Author(s) -
Bascove Matthieu,
HuinSchohn Cècile,
Guèguinou Nathan,
Tschirhart Eric,
Frippiat JeanPol
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fj.08-121327
Subject(s) - pleurodeles , spaceflight , biology , immunoglobulin heavy chain , immunoglobulin light chain , gene , antibody , immune system , amphibian , humoral immunity , gene expression , genetics , microbiology and biotechnology , ecology , engineering , aerospace engineering
Understanding why the immune system is depressed during spaceflight is of obvious importance for future human deep‐space missions, such as the foreseen missions to Mars. However, little is known about the effects of these flights on humoral immunity. We previously immunized adult Pleurodeles waltl (urodele amphibian) onboard the Mir space station and showed that heavy‐chain variable (VH) domains of specific IgM antibodies are encoded by genes belonging to the VHII and VHVI families. We have now determined how these animals use their individual VHII and VHVI genes by screening IgM heavy‐chain cDNA libraries and by quantifying IgM heavy‐chain transcripts encoded by these genes. Results were compared with those obtained using control animals immunized on Earth under the same conditions as onboard Mir. Our experiments revealed an increase in the expression of IgM heavy‐chain mRNAs encoded by the VHII and VHVI.C genes and a strong decrease in the expression of IgM heavy‐chain mRNAs encoded by the VHVI.A and VHVI.B genes in spaceflight animals. Consequently, different heavy‐chain mRNAs are expressed by spaceflight animals, demonstrating that this environment affects the humoral response. These observations may be due to a change in B‐cell selection under space flight conditions.— Bascove, M.,Huin‐Schohn, C., Gueguinou, N., Tschirhart, E., Frippiat, J.‐P. Spaceflight‐associated changes in immunoglobulin VH gene expression in the amphibian Pleurodeles waltl . FASEB J . 23, 1607–1615 (2009)