EFFECT OF MODELED MICROGRAVITY ON THE LEVEL OF mRNA GENES ENCODING THE CYTOSKELETAL PROTEINS AND HISTONE ACETYLATION IN DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER OVARIES

Abstract

Maintenance of the human reproductive health is vital in context of preserving living species in remote space missions. Changes in the gene expression due to microgravity can lead to degradation of fertility; however, the mechanism that triggers these changes is not fully understood. In our investigation we determined mRNA levels in the prime cytoskeletal proteins and analyzed histone methylation and acetylation activities in Drosophila melanogaster ovaries during 79-hr microgravity modeled with the use of a random positioning machine (RPM), and per os introduction of essential phospholipids. The results showed that the fruit flies exposure to modeled microgravity over the entire oogenesis cycle increased levels of mRNA genes encoding the cytoskeletal proteins in oocytes and that this can be, probably, associated with increased acetylation of the histone H3 Lys9 and Lys27. Essential phospholipids seem to prevent growth and/or initiate mRNA reductions in the majority of cytoskeleton elements in the flies exposed to modeled microgravity; however, the tubulin and lamin B binding proteins increased in the respective controls. Essential phospholipids leveled histone 3 Lys9 acetylation in modeled microgravity but enhanced Lys27 acetylation in the control.