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Experiment/Payload Overview

Information provided courtesy of the Erasmus Experiment Archive.
Brief Summary

Chromosome-2, a European Space Agency experiment, is a continuation of the Chromosome investigation performed on earlier ISS expeditions. White blood cells (lymphocytes) are collected from crewmembers preflight and postflight. The lymphocytes are examined using different analytic methods to determine quantity and quality of genetic changes resulting from exposure to cosmic radiation, particularly ionizing radiation.

Principal Investigator

Christian Johannes, Ph.D., University of Duisburg, Essen, Essen, , Germany

Co-Investigator(s)/Collaborator(s)

Alexandra Antonopoulos, , University of Duisburg, Essen, Essen, , Germany

Wolfgang Goedecke, Ph.D., University of Duisburg, Essen, Essen, , Germany

Payload Developer

European Space Agency, Noordwijk, , The Netherlands

Sponsoring Space Agency

European Space Agency (ESA)

Sponsoring Organization:

Information Pending

ISS Expedition Duration:

October 2005 - April 2008

Expeditions Assigned

12, 13, 14, 15, 16

Previous ISS Missions

Earlier versions of this experiment flew on the Space Shuttle and the Russian Space Station, Mir, as well as, ISS Expeditions 6-11.

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Experiment/Payload Description

Research Summary

• This study will assess changes in the morphology of chromosomes, particularly chromosomal aberrations by taking into account the sensitivity to radiation by each crew member. The frequency and the type of chromosomal aberrations depend on characteristics and doses of ionizing radiation the crewmembers are exposed to while in orbit.



• Chromosomes collected from blood lymphocytes are scored for different types of abnormalities before and after a stay on ISS. Some of the analysis methods are new, and will provide a new way of visualizing all changes, particularly those increasing the risk of cancer.

Description

Cosmic radiation is a major risk factor in manned space missions. This investigation will give a better insight into the mutagenic burden of astronauts during space flights as consequence of exposure to the complex cosmic radiation field. Although it can be assumed that radiation plays a major role in mutation induction in astronauts, synergistic influences such as weightlessness, acceleration, vibration hyperthermia, noise microwave radiation, physical exercises, trauma, and infections cannot be ruled out.

During flights astronauts are chronically exposed to radiations of solar and galactic origin. The space radiation field consists of electrons, protons, heavy particles, and secondary radiation like bremsstrahlung, neutrons, and charged particles created by interactions of primary radiations with nuclei of spacecraft shielding material or the human body (Reitz et al., 1996). The contribution of the dose of single radiation types depends on altitude and inclination of the spacecraft, effective shielding thickness and solar activity during the mission.

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Applications

Space Applications

Information Pending

Earth Applications

Information Pending

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Operations

Operational Requirements

Information Pending

Operational Protocols

The Chromosome-2 experiment will use astronauts as test subjects, but no actual in-flight experiment or data collection will be carried out. To assess the genetic impact of space radiation, blood (15 mL) is drawn before and directly after flights by venous puncture. Whole blood cultures will be set up with phytohemagglutinin to stimulate lymphocytes to undergo mitoses. After 48 h mitotic cells will be arrested with Colcemid, fixed and prepared on slides for microscopic analysis. The preparations will be scored for chromosomal aberrations. Three different staining procedures shall be performed to assess all types of aberrations induced by ionising radiations:

• classical Giemsa block-staining to score dicentric and ring chromosomes


• multicolor fluorescence in-situ hybridisation to score reciprocal translocations and insertions


• multicolor banding fluorescence in-situ hybridisation of a selected chromosome pair to score for inversions and translocations between homologous chromosomes.

A quantitative comparison between pre- and postflight aberration values will give information about chromosome breaking effects of cosmic radiation in blood lymphocytes of astronauts. Information will be generated about the participation of each chromosome pair on aberration formation as well as the inter- and intrachromosomal distribution of different aberration types.

The association of chromosomal aberrations with an enhanced cancer risk stresses the importance of the planned research. The data obtained will be helpful in order to carefully plan space flight missions.

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Results/More Information

Information Pending

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Related Web Sites

The information on this page is provided courtesy of the ESA Erasmus Experiment Archive.

Columbus Mission - European Experiment Programme

Department of Genetics and Cytogenetics, University of Essen

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Publications

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Ground Based Results Publications

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ISS Patent Publications

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Related Publications

• Horstmann M ,Durante M ,Johannes C ,Obe G ,Chromosomal intrachanges induced by swift iron ions Advances in Space Research 2005 35 276-279
• Obe G ,Facius R ,Reitz G ,Johannes I ,Johannes C ,Manned missions to Mars and chromosome damage International Journal of Radiation Biology 1999 75 429-433
• Johannes C ,Horstmann M ,Durante M ,Chudoba I ,Obe G ,Chromosome intrachanges and interchanges detected by multicolor banding in lymphocytes: searching for clastogen signatures in the human genome Radiation Research 2004 161 540-548
• Wolf G ,Obe G ,Bergau L ,Cytogenetic investigations in flight personnel Radiation Protection Dosimetry 1999 86 275-278
• Obe G ,Johannes I ,Johannes C ,Hallman K ,Reitz G ,Facius R ,Chromosomal aberrations in blood lymphocytes of astronauts after long-term space flights International Journal of Radiation Biology 1997 72 727-734
• George K ,Wu H ,Willingham V ,Cucinotta F A,The effect of space radiation on the induction of chromosome damage Physica Medica 2001 17 Suppl 222-225
• Kawata T ,Durante M ,George K ,Furusawa Y ,Gotoh E ,Takai N ,Wu H ,Cucinotta F A,Kinetics of chromatid break repair in G2-human fibroblasts exposed to low- and high-LET radiations Physica Medica 2001 17 Suppl 226-228
• Chatterjee A ,Borak T H,Physical and biological studies with protons and HZE particles in a NASA supported research center in radiation health Physica Medica 2001 17 Suppl 1 59-66
• Fedorenko B ,Druzhinin S ,Yudaeva L ,Petrov V ,Akatov Y ,Snigiryova G ,Novitskaya N ,Shevchenko V ,Rubanovich A ,Cytogenetic studies of blood lymphocytes from cosmonauts after long-term space flights on Mir station Advanced Space Research 2001 27 355-359
• Wu H ,George K ,Willingham V ,Cucinotta F A,Comparison of chromosome aberration frequencies in pre- and post-flight astronaut lymphocytes irradiated in vitro with gamma rays Physica Medica 2001 17 Suppl 229-231

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Images

Researchers use mFISH to study human chromosomal pairs. This photo shows that there has been a reciprocal exchange (translocation between chromosomes 11 and 12 and between 13 and 22) in blood lymphocytes of a crew member after space flight.

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Classical Giemsa staining makes it possible to detect major structural changes. (a) shows normal undamaged chromosomes, (b) shows a dicentric chromosome and an associated acentric fragment indicated by arrows.

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The mBAND method is used to detect aberrations within chromosomes as shown in the photo. An interstitial piece is lost from one of the two chromosomes 5. Image courtesy of University of Duisburg - Essen.

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