Effect of spaceflight on the phenotype and proteome of Escherichia coli

Microbial safety has become a research hotspot with the development of manned space technology. Escherichia coli is a conditional pathogen that can cause infectious diseases. Therefore, it is necessary to study the influence of the space environment on E. coli. Phenotypic experiments including growth curves, morphology, and environmental resistance experiment were used to study the phenotypic changes of E. coli after exposure to the space environment for 12 days carried by the SJ-10 satellite. Tandem mass tag was used to assess the proteome change of E. coli. We found that the survival rate of E. coli in the spaceflight group was decreased when cultivated in acidic and high-salt environments. Proteomic analysis identified 72 downregulated proteins involved in chemotaxis, intracellular pH elevation, glycolate catabolic process, and glutamate metabolic process in the spaceflight group. Meanwhile, only one protein mtr that was involved in the uptake of tryptophan in E. coli was upregulated in the spaceflight group. Our research showed that proteomics results can explain phenotypic results, which demonstrated the successful application of proteomics in mechanism research. Our data provide a comprehensive resource for understanding the effect of the space environment on E. coli.

Automated summary

With the development of space technology, microbial safety has become a research focus. Escherichia coli is a conditional pathogen that can cause infectious diseases, and it is necessary to study the influence of the space environment on E. coli. Through phenotypic experiments and proteomic analysis, we found that the survival rate of E. coli decreased in acidic and high-salt environments in the spaceflight group. Proteomic analysis also revealed changes in proteins related to chemotaxis, intracellular pH elevation, and metabolic processes in the spaceflight group. Our research demonstrates the successful application of proteomics in mechanism research and provides a comprehensive resource for understanding the effect of the space environment on E. coli.