Markus Wehland

Morphological and Molecular Changes in Juvenile Normal Human Fibroblasts Exposed to Simulated Microgravity

Research output: Contribution to journal/Conference contribution in journal/Contribution to newspaperJournal articleResearchpeer-review

  • Christoph Buken, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg
  • ,
  • Jayashree Sahana
  • Thomas J Corydon
  • Daniela Melnik, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg
  • ,
  • Johann Bauer, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Planegg, Germany. jbauer@biochem.mpg.de.
  • ,
  • Markus Wehland
  • Marcus Krüger, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg
  • ,
  • Silke Balk, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg
  • ,
  • Nauras Abuagela, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg
  • ,
  • Manfred Infanger, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg
  • ,
  • Daniela Grimm

The literature suggests morphological alterations and molecular biological changes within the cellular milieu of human cells, exposed to microgravity (µg), as many cell types assemble to multicellular spheroids (MCS). In this study we investigated juvenile normal human dermal fibroblasts (NHDF) grown in simulated µg (s-µg) on a random positioning machine (RPM), aiming to study changes in cell morphology, cytoskeleton, extracellular matrix (ECM), focal adhesion and growth factors. On the RPM, NHDF formed an adherent monolayer and compact MCS. For the two cell populations we found a differential regulation of fibronectin, laminin, collagen-IV, aggrecan, osteopontin, TIMP-1, integrin-β1, caveolin-1, E-cadherin, talin-1, vimentin, α-SM actin, TGF-β1, IL-8, MCP-1, MMP-1, and MMP-14 both on the transcriptional and/or translational level. Immunofluorescence staining revealed only slight structural changes in cytoskeletal components. Flow cytometry showed various membrane-bound proteins with considerable variations. In silico analyses of the regulated proteins revealed an interaction network, contributing to MCS growth via signals mediated by integrin-β1, E-cadherin, caveolin-1 and talin-1. In conclusion, s-µg-conditions induced changes in the cytoskeleton, ECM, focal adhesion and growth behavior of NHDF and we identified for the first time factors involved in fibroblast 3D-assembly. This new knowledge might be of importance in tissue engineering, wound healing and cancer metastasis.

Original languageEnglish
Article number11882
JournalScientific Reports
Volume9
Issue1
Number of pages22
ISSN2045-2322
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 15 Aug 2019

    Research areas

  • 3-DIMENSIONAL GROWTH, ALTERED GRAVITY, BETA-ACTIN, COLLAGEN FRAGMENTATION, ENDOTHELIAL GROWTH-FACTOR, EXTRACELLULAR-MATRIX PROTEINS, FIBRONECTIN, FOCAL ADHESION KINASE, SPHEROID FORMATION, THYROID-CANCER CELLS

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