Loss of physical contact in space alters the dopamine system in C. elegans
Surabhi Sudevan, Kasumi Muto, Nahoko Higashitani, Tōkō Hashizume, Akira Higashibata, Rebecca A. Ellwood, Colleen S. Deane, Mizanur Rahman, Siva A. Vanapalli, Timothy Etheridge, Nathaniel J. Szewczyk, Atsushi Higashitani
Abstract
(D2-like receptor) mutants, neither decrease in movement nor in body length were observed during simulated microgravity growth. These results strongly suggest that targeting the dopamine system through manipulation of the external environment (contact stimuli) prevents muscular changes and is a realistic and viable treatment strategy to promote safe human deep-space travel.
Topics & Concepts
DopamineWeightlessnessNeuroscienceChemistryCell biologyBiologyPhysicsAstronomyGenetics, Aging, and Longevity in Model OrganismsSpaceflight effects on biologyMuscle Physiology and Disorders