Simulated microgravity accelerates aging in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

• Published in: Life sciences in space research Vol. 28; pp. 32 - 40
• Main Authors: Fukuda, Ana Paula Montanari, Camandona, Vittoria de Lima, Francisco, Kelliton José Mendonça, Rios-Anjos, Rafaela Maria, Lucio do Lago, Claudimir, Ferreira-Junior, Jose Ribamar
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.02.2021
• Subjects: Aging; Calorie restriction; FOB1; Microgravity; Replicative lifespan; Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Aging; FOB1; Replicative lifespan; Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Microgravity; Calorie restriction
• ISSN: 2214-5524; 2214-5532
• DOI: 10.1016/j.lssr.2020.12.003

•Simulated microgravity reduces yeast RLS but not CLS.•Calorie restriction oppose the effect of simulated microgravity n yeast RLS.•Deletion of FOB1 counters the effect of simulated microgravity n yeast RLS.•Deletion of the sirtuin gene SIR2 worsen the microgravity effect on RLS.•Clinostat rotation does not reduce yeast tolerance to heat shock and oxidative stress. The human body experiences physiological changes under microgravity environment that phenocopy aging on Earth. These changes include early onset osteoporosis, skeletal muscle atrophy, cardiac dysfunction, and immunosenescence, and such adaptations to the space environment may pose some risk to crewed missions to Mars. To investigate the effect of microgravity on aging, many model organisms have been used such as the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, and mice. Herein we report that the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae show decreased replicative lifespan (RLS) under simulated microgravity in a clinostat. The reduction of yeast lifespan is not a result of decreased tolerance to heat shock or oxidative stress and could be overcome either by deletion of FOB1 or calorie restriction, two known interventions that extend yeast RLS. Deletion of the sirtuin gene SIR2 worsens the simulated microgravity effect on RLS, and together with the fob1Δ mutant phenotype, it suggests that simulated microgravity augments the formation of extrachromosomal rDNA circles, which accumulate in yeast during aging. We also show that the chronological lifespan in minimal medium was not changed when cells were grown in the clinostat. Our data suggest that the reduction in longevity due to simulated microgravity is conserved in yeast, worms, and flies, and these findings may have potential implications for future crewed missions in space, as well as the use of microgravity as a model for human aging.