Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Molecular recognition”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 37 records · Page 2
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2003

Array biosensor for detection of toxins

The array biosensor is capable of detecting multiple targets rapidly and simultaneously on the surface of a single waveguide. Sandwich and competitive fluoroimmunoassays have been developed to detect high and low molecular weight toxins, respectively, in complex samples. Recognition molecules (usually antibodies) were first immobilized in specific locations on the waveguide and the resultant patterned array was used to interrogate up to 12 different samples for the presence of multiple different analytes. Upon binding of a fluorescent analyte or fluorescent immunocomplex, the pattern of fluorescent spots was detected using a CCD camera. Automated image analysis was used to determine a mean fluorescence value for each assay spot and to subtract the local background signal. The location of the spot and its mean fluorescence value were used to determine the toxin identity and concentration. Toxins were measured in clinical fluids, environmental samples and foods, with minimal sample preparation. Results are shown for rapid analyses of staphylococcal enterotoxin B, ricin, cholera toxin, botulinum toxoids, trinitrotoluene, and the mycotoxin fumonisin. Toxins were detected at levels as low as 0.5 ng mL(-1).

Review↗
NASA NTRS2001

A Structural and Molecular Approach for the Study Biomarkers

Investigation of the nucleation and growth of crystals in both abiotic and biotic systems is critical to seemingly diverse disciplines of geology, biology, environmental science, and astrobiology. While there are abundant studies devoted to the determination of the structure and composition of inorganic crystals, as well as to the development of thermodynamic and kinetic models, it is only recently that research efforts have been directed towards understanding mineralization in biological systems (i.e., biomineralization). Biomineralization refers to the processes by which living organisms form inorganic solids. Studies of the processes of biomineralization under low temperature aqueous conditions have focused primarily on magnetite forming bacteria and shell forming marine organisms. Many of the biological building materials consist of inorganic minerals (calcium carbonate, calcium phosphate, silica or iron oxide) intricately combined with organic polymers (like proteins). More recently, efforts have been undertaken to explore the nature of biological activities in ancient rocks. In the absence of well-preserved microorganisms or genetic material required for the polmerase chain reaction (PCR) method in molecular phylogenetic studies, using biominerals as biomarkers offers an alternative approach for the recognition of biogenic activity in both terrestrial and extraterrestrial environments. The primary driving force in biomineralization is the interaction between organic and inorganic phases. Thus, the investigation of the ultrastructure and the nature of reactions at the molecular level occurring at the interface between inorganic and organic phases is essential to understanding the processes leading to the nucleation and growth of crystals. It is recognized that crystal surfaces can serve as the substrate for the organization of organic molecules that lead to the formation of polymers and other complex organic molecules, and in discussions of the origins of life, is referred to as organic synthesis on mineral surfaces. Furthermore, it is suggested that the interaction between mineral surfaces and simple organic molecules resulted in the formation of amino acids, RNA, and perhaps other more complex molecules such as proteins. On the other hand, in natural systems, it is recognized that functional groups on cell walls or membranes of microorganisms serve as sites of nucleation and crystallization. The precise replication of biominerals with controlled structure, morphology, size and texture is not confined to higher organisms as it also occurs in primitive prokaryotic cells such as magnetotactic bacteria and cyanobacteria. This suggests that the principal strategies of biomineralization were established early on in the evolutionary history of organisms. It is critical, therefore, to search for common mechanisms within diverse biological systems. One such common factor is the capability for organization and self-assembly. Organic macromolecules such as proteins and lipids can aggregate and polymerize forming membranes or extracellular matrix. At the organic-inorganic interface, several factors such as lattice geometry, polarity, stereochemistry and topography may act in concert to control nucleation and growth of crystals. Although several models have been proposed that discuss the significance of these factors for biomineralization, no comprehensive experimental data are available. In contrast to crystallization in exclusively inorganic systems, the kinetics of reaction and structural relationships between organic and inorganic phases in biominerals or biomimetic material is poorly understood. For example, it is not clear if the concept of epitactic growth (geometrical matching of unit cells at the interface of a secondary crystal growing on a primary crystal) applies to organic-inorganic systems. In contrast to inorganic templates that often have a smooth and rigid surface that promotes epitactic growth, biological substrates are usually rough and result in a large degree of mismatch. It is apparent that factors controlling the reaction at the crystal-matrix interface are strongly dependent upon the nature of the substrate. Therefore, characterization of the assembled organic surface and surface structure of the inorganic phase is crucial to understanding the processes of biomineralization. The focus of our research is the investigation of the processes leading to the nucleation and growth of crystals on both natural and synthetic systems through an interdisciplinary approach that integrates molecular biology, morphology and mineralogy using advanced preparation and analytical techniques. We have studied run-products, particularly magnetite, siderite and other carbonates, that resulted from extracellular biomineralization by extremophiles isolated from a variety of extreme environments ranging from permafrost to hydrothermal vent systems. The results of this study are critical to recognizing biomarkers in terrestrial and extraterrestrial environments.

Thomas-Keprta, Kathie↗
NASA NTRS1987

Structural elements and organization of the ancestral translational machinery

The molecular mechanisms of the primitive translational apparatus are discussed in the framework of present-day protein biosynthesis. The structural necessities of an early adaptor and the multipoint recognition properties of such an adaptor are investigated on the basis of structure/function relationships found in a contemporary system and a molecular model of the contemporary transpeptidation complex. A model of the tRNA(Tyr)-tyrosyl tRNA synthetase complex including the positioning of the disordered region is proposed; the model is used to illustrate the required recognition properties of the ancestor aminoacyl synthetase.

Rein, R.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Sulfur and Hydrogen Isotope Anomalies in Organic Compounds from the Murchison Meteorite

Isotopic measurements have been made on organic sulfur and phosphorus compounds recently discovered in the Murchison meteorite. Carbon, hydrogen and sulfur measurements were performed on individual members of the organic sulfur compounds, alkyl sulfonates; and carbon and hydrogen measurements were made on bulk alkyl phosphonates. Cooper and Chang reported the first carbon isotopic measurements of Murchison organic sulfonates, providing insight into the potential synthetic mechanisms of these and, possibly, other organic species. Hydrogen isotopic measurements of the sulforiates now reveal deuterium excesses ranging from +660 to +2730 %. The deuterium enrichments indicate formation of the hydrocarbon portion of these compounds in a low temperature astrophysical environment consistent with that of dense molecular clouds. Measurements of the sulfur isotopes provide further constraints on the origin and mechanism of formation of these organic molecules. Recently, there has been growing documentation of sulfur isotopic anomalies in meteoritic material. Thiemens and Jackson have shown that some bulk ureilites possess excess S-33 and Thiemens et al. have reported excess S-33 in an oldhamite separate from the Norton County meteorite. Rees and Thode reported a large S-33 excess in an Allende acid residue, however, attempts to verify this measurements have been unsuccessful, possibly due to the heterogeneous nature of the carrier phase. With the recognition that sulfur isotopes may reflect chemistry in the protosolar nebula or the precursor molecular cloud, identification of potential carriers is of considerable interest. In the present study, the stable isotopes of sulfur were measured in methane sulfonic acid extracted from the Murchison meteorite. The isotopic composition was found to be: (delta)S-33 = 2.48 %, (delta)S-34 = 2.49 % and (delta)S-36 = 6.76 %. Based upon analysis of more than 60 meteoritic and numerous terrestrial samples, the mass fractionation lines are defined by Delta-33 = (delta)S-33 -0.50(delta)S-34 and Delta-36 = (delta)s-36 - 1.97 (delta)S-34. From these relationships Delta-33 = 1.24 % and Delta-36 = 0.89 % are observed. These anomalies, particularly the Delta-33, lie well outside the range of analytical uncertainty. They are the largest observed in any meteoritic component and the first found in an organosulfur compound. As discussed by Thiemens and Jackson, due to it's position on the periodic chart, sulfur undergoes chemically induced mass independent isotopic fractionations as does oxygen. Experiments by Mauersberger et. al. show that in such processes, the magnitude of fractionation for the different isotopically substituted species varies with mass and angular momentum; thus, anomalies are expected for both S-33 and S-36, but not necessarily of the same magnitude. Laboratory experiments have also confirmed that chemically produced, mass independent fractionations are mediated by molecular symmetry factors. A chemical source of fractionation requires that the sulfur isotopic anomaly was established in the gas phase, probably in reactions involving symmetric CS2. The discovery of an anomalous sulfur isotopic composition in a specific molecule containing excess deuterium is an important advance in the understanding of the cosmochemistry of sulfur. This evidence suggests that methanesulfonic acid was synthesized by interstellar processes. Further measurements and details of possible synthesis and fractionation mechanisms will be presented.

Cooper, G. W.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Protobiological informatoin, bidirectional recognition and reverse translation

Emergence of protobiological information has been suggested by experiments in which heated mixtures of alpha-amino acids order themselves into a self limited array of thermal proteins. The polymers display selective catalytic, hormonal, and other activities. Interactions of varied cationic thermal proteins with polynucleotides indicate selective recognition in both directions. Reverse translation is partly a missing link in the molecular evolution flowsheet. The self ordering of amino acids serves conceptually as a deterministic evolutionary precursor of the modern coding mechanism. The possibility for the evolution of information at an early nontemplated protein stage is supported by findings of electrical signals from proteinoid microspheres prepared with no DNA/RNA in their history. The deposition of thermal copolyamino acids on lipid membranes in the Mueller-Rudin apparatus has here been found to produce electrical behavior like that evoked by bacterial EIM polypeptide. A new procedure is to make a film of membrane on the electrode; the results provide maximal repeatability. The principle of nonrandom biomacromolecular specificity identified by these studies in molecular evolution have been extrapolated to principles of evolution of advanced organisms.

Fox, S. W.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Development of nontoxic heat transport fluids for habitat two-phase thermal control systems

A computational chemistry approach based on pattern recognition techniques is used to correlate molecules thermodynamic and chemical properties with its molecular structure. The potential to develop a suitable two-phase nontoxic heat transport working fluid for the spacecraft habitat environment is discussed. It is concluded that the perfluorocarbons represent a potentially useful class to consider as a source of the working fluids because of their low toxicity, thermal stability, and chemical inertness. The ADAPT software program is considered to be adequate to make structural and property predictions.

Parrish, Clyde F.↗
NASA NTRS2017

The Statistical Mechanics of Solar Wind Hydroxylation at the Moon, Within Lunar Magnetic Anomalies, and at Phobos

We present a new formalism to describe the outgassing of hydrogen initially implanted by the solar wind protons into exposed soils on airless bodies. The formalism applies a statistical mechanics approach similar to that applied recently to molecular adsorption onto activated surfaces. The key element enabling this formalism is the recognition that the interatomic potential between the implanted H and regolith-residing oxides is not of singular value but possess a distribution of trapped energy values at a given temperature, F(U,T). All subsequent derivations of the outward diffusion and H retention rely on the specific properties of this distribution. We find that solar wind hydrogen can be retained if there are sites in the implantation layer with activation energy values exceeding 0.5eV. We especially examine the dependence of H retention applying characteristic energy values found previously for irradiated silica and mature lunar samples. We also apply the formalism to two cases that differ from the typical solar wind implantation at the Moon. First, we test for a case of implantation in magnetic anomaly regions where significantly lower-energy ions of solar wind origin are expected to be incident with the surface. In magnetic anomalies, H retention is found to be reduced due to the reduced ion flux and shallower depth of implantation. Second, we also apply the model to Phobos where the surface temperature range is not as extreme as the Moon. We find the H atom retention in this second case is higher than the lunar case due to the reduced thermal extremes (that reduces outgassing).

Solar Wind↗
NASA NTRS2000

T Lymphocyte Activation Threshold is Increased in Reduced Gravity

There have been substantial advances in molecular and cellular biology that have provided new insight into the biochemical and genetic basis of lymphocyte recognition, activation and expression of distinct functional phenotypes. It has now become evident that for both T and B cells, stimuli delivered through their receptors can result in either clonal expansion or apoptosis. In the case of T cells, clonal expansion of helper cells is accompanied by differentiation into two major functional subsets which regulate the immune response. The pathways between the membrane and the nucleus and their molecular components are an area of very active investigation. This meeting will draw together scientists working on diverse aspects of this problem, including receptor ligand interactions, intracellular pathways that transmit receptor mediated signals and the effect of such signal transduction pathways on gene regulation. The aim of this meeting is to integrate the information from these various experimental approaches into a new synthesis and molecular explanation of T cell activation, differentiation and death.

Adams, Charley L.↗
NASA NTRS1971

Chemical evolution and the origin of life; Proceedings of the Third International Conference, Pont-a-Mousson, France, April 19-25, 1970. Volume 1 - Molecular evolution.

The present state of investigations on the origin of life is surveyed together with the current state of molecular paleontology. General and theoretical subjects discussed include an energetic approach to prebiological chemistry, the recognition of description and function in chemical reaction networks, and the origin and development of optical activity of bio-organic compounds on the primordial earth. Other fields considered are the syntheses of small molecules, oligomers and polymers; photochemical processes; the origin of biological structures; primitive biochemistry and biology; and exobiology. Individual items are abstracted in this issue.

Buvet, R.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Macromolecular recognition: Structural aspects of the origin of the genetic system

Theoretical simulation of prebiotic chemical processes is an invaluable tool for probing the phenomenon of evolution of life. Using computational and modeling techniques and guided by analogies from present day systems we, seek to understand the emergence of genetic apparatus, enzymatic catalysis and protein synthesis under prebiotic conditions. In one possible scenario, the RNA enzymatic reaction plays a key role in the emergence of the self-replicating and offers a clue to the onset of enzymatic catalysis prior to the existence of the protein biosynthetic machinery. Our ultimate goal is to propose a simple RNA segment which contains the specificity and catalytic activity of the contemporary RNA enzyme and which could emerge in a primordial chemical environment. To understand the mechanism of ribozyme catalyzed reactions, ab initio and semi-empirical (ZINDO) programs were used to investigate the reaction path of transphosphorylation. A special emphasis was placed on the possible catalytic and structural roles played by the coordinated magnesium cation. Both the inline and adjacent mechanisms of transphosphorylation have been studied. Another important aspect of this reaction is the identity of the functional groups which are essential for the acid base catalysis. The structural characteristics of the target helices, particularly a possible role of G center dot T pair, is under examination by molecular dynamics (MD) simulation technique. Modeling of the ancestral aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aRS) may provide important clues to the emergence of the genetic code and the protein synthetic machinery. Assuming that the catalytic function evolved before the elements of specific recognition of a particular amino acid, we are exploring the minimal structural requirements for the catalysis of tRNA aminoacylation. The molecular modeling system SYBYL was used for this study based on the high resolution crystallographic structures of the present day tyrosyl-adenylate:tyrRS and tRNA(Gln): ATP:glnRS complexes. The trinucleotide CCA of the 3'-end tRNA is placed into the active site pocket of tyrRS, based on the scheme of interaction between tRNA(Gln) and glnRS, and upon the stereochemistry of the tyrRS:tRNA:Tyr-AMP transition state. This provides a model of the non-specific recognition of a tRNA's 3'-end by an aRS, which might be similar to that of the ancestral aRS's. In the next step, modeling of the rest of the acceptor stem of tRNA (Tyr) with tyrRS is carried out.

Rein, Robert↗
NASA NTRS2007

Interactions of the SAP Domain of Human Ku70 with DNA Substrate: A Molecular Dynamics Study

NASA is developing a systems biology approach to improve the assessment of health risks associated with space radiation. The primary toxic and mutagenic lesion following radiation exposure is the DNA double strand break (DSB), thus a model incorporating proteins and pathways important in response and repair of this lesion is critical. One key protein heterodimer for systems models of radiation effects is the Ku70/80 complex. The Ku70/80 complex is important in the initial binding of DSB ends following DNA damage, and is a component of nonhomologous end joining repair, the primary pathway for DSB repair in mammalian cells. The SAP domain of Ku70 (residues 556-609), contains an a helix-extended strand-helix motif and similar motifs have been found in other nucleic acid-binding proteins critical for DNA repair. However, the exact mechanism of damage recognition and substrate specificity for the Ku heterodimer remains unclear in part due to the absence of a high-resolution structure of the SAP/DNA complex. We performed a series of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations on a system with the SAP domain of Ku70 and a 10 base pairs DNA duplex. Large-scale conformational changes were observed and some putative binding modes were suggested based on energetic analysis. These modes are consistent with previous experimental investigations. In addition, the results indicate that cooperation of SAP with other domains of Ku70/80 is necessary to explain the high affinity of binding as observed in experiments.

Hu, Shaowen↗
NASA NTRS2007

Interactions of the C-terminal Domain of Human Ku70 with DNA Substrate: A Molecular Dynamics Study

NASA is developing a systems biology approach to improve the assessment of health risks associated with space radiation. The primary toxic and mutagenic lesion following radiation exposure is the DNA double strand break (DSB), thus a model incorporating proteins and pathways important in response and repair of this lesion is critical. One key protein heterodimer for systems models of radiation effects is the Ku(sub 70/80) complex. The Ku70/80 complex is important in the initial binding of DSB ends following DNA damage, and is a component of nonhomologous end joining repair, the primary pathway for DSB repair in mammalian cells. The C-terminal domain of Ku70 (Ku70c, residues 559-609), contains an helix-extended strand-helix motif and similar motifs have been found in other nucleic acid-binding proteins critical for DNA repair. However, the exact mechanism of damage recognition and substrate specificity for the Ku heterodimer remains unclear in part due to the absence of a high-resolution structure of the Ku70c/DNA complex. We performed a series of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations on a system with the subunit Ku70c and a 14 base pairs DNA duplex, whose starting structures are designed to be variable so as to mimic their different binding modes. By analyzing conformational changes and energetic properties of the complex during MD simulations, we found that interactions are preferred at DNA ends, and within the major groove, which is consistent with previous experimental investigations. In addition, the results indicate that cooperation of Ku70c with other subunits of Ku(sub 70/80) is necessary to explain the high affinity of binding as observed in experiments.

Hu, Shaowen↗
NASA NTRS2006

NASA Tech Briefs, April 2006

The topics covered include: 1) Replaceable Sensor System for Bioreactor Monitoring; 2) Unitary Shaft-Angle and Shaft-Speed Sensor Assemblies; 3) Arrays of Nano Tunnel Junctions as Infrared Image Sensors; 4) Catalytic-Metal/PdO(sub x)/SiC Schottky-Diode Gas Sensors; 5) Compact, Precise Inertial Rotation Sensors for Spacecraft; 6) Universal Controller for Spacecraft Mechanisms; 7) The Flostation - an Immersive Cyberspace System; 8) Algorithm for Aligning an Array of Receiving Radio Antennas; 9) Single-Chip T/R Module for 1.2 GHz; 10) Quantum Entanglement Molecular Absorption Spectrum Simulator; 11) FuzzObserver; 12) Internet Distribution of Spacecraft Telemetry Data; 13) Semi-Automated Identification of Rocks in Images; 14) Pattern-Recognition Algorithm for Locking Laser Frequency; 15) Designing Cure Cycles for Matrix/Fiber Composite Parts; 16) Controlling Herds of Cooperative Robots; 17) Modification of a Limbed Robot to Favor Climbing; 18) Vacuum-Assisted, Constant-Force Exercise Device; 19) Production of Tuber-Inducing Factor; 20) Quantum-Dot Laser for Wavelengths of 1.8 to 2.3 micron; 21) Tunable Filter Made From Three Coupled WGM Resonators; and 22) Dynamic Pupil Masking for Phasing Telescope Mirror Segments.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2011

Wind and Temperature Spectrometry of the Upper Atmosphere in Low-Earth Orbit

Wind and Temperature Spectrometry (WATS) is a new approach to measure the full wind vector, temperature, and relative densities of major neutral species in the Earth's thermosphere. The method uses an energy-angle spectrometer moving through the tenuous upper atmosphere to measure directly the angular and energy distributions of the air stream that enters the spectrometer. The angular distribution gives the direction of the total velocity of the air entering the spectrometer, and the energy distribution gives the magnitude of the total velocity. The wind velocity vector is uniquely determined since the measured total velocity depends on the wind vector and the orbiting velocity vector. The orbiting spectrometer moves supersonically, Mach 8 or greater, through the air and must point within a few degrees of its orbital velocity vector (the ram direction). Pointing knowledge is critical; for example, pointing errors 0.1 lead to errors of about 10 m/s in the wind. The WATS method may also be applied without modification to measure the ion-drift vector, ion temperature, and relative ion densities of major ionic species in the ionosphere. In such an application it may be called IDTS: Ion-Drift Temperature Spectrometry. A spectrometer-based coordinate system with one axis instantaneously pointing along the ram direction makes it possible to transform the Maxwellian velocity distribution of the air molecules to a Maxwellian energy-angle distribution for the molecular flux entering the spectrometer. This implementation of WATS is called the gas kinetic method (GKM) because it is applied to the case of the Maxwellian distribution. The WATS method follows from the recognition that in a supersonic platform moving at 8,000 m/s, the measurement of small wind velocities in the air on the order of a few 100 m/s and less requires precise knowledge of the angle of incidence of the neutral atoms and molecules. The same is true for the case of ion-drift measurements. WATS also provides a general approach that can obtain non-equilibrium distributions as may exist in the upper regions of the thermosphere, above 500 km and into the exosphere. Finally, WATS serves as a mass spectrometer, with very low mass resolution of roughly 1 part in 3, but easily separating atomic oxygen from molecular nitrogen.

Herrero, Federico↗
NASA NTRS1991

Extracellular matrix and cell shape: potential control points for inhibition of angiogenesis

Capillary endothelial (CE) cells require two extracellular signals in order to switch from quiescence to growth and back to differentiation during angiogenesis: soluble angiogenic factors and insoluble extracellular matrix (ECM) molecules. Soluble endothelial mitogens, such as basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF), act over large distances to trigger capillary growth, whereas ECM molecules act locally to modulate cell responsiveness to these soluble cues. Recent studies reveal that ECM molecules regulate CE cell growth and differentiation by modulating cell shape and by activating intracellular chemical signaling pathways inside the cell. Recognition of the importance of ECM and cell shape during capillary morphogenesis has led to the identification of a series of new angiogenesis inhibitors. Elucidation of the molecular mechanism of capillary regulation may result in development of even more potent angiogenesis modulators in the future.

Non-NASA Center↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Conditions of the Toll-Like Receptors System of the Human Innate Immunity Cells During the Long-Term Isolation

During long duration missions onboard the International Space Station (ISS), alterations in T cell function and plasma cytokine profiles have been observed. Recent studies involving pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) have established that adaptation of innate immunity to long duration space flight occurs through changes in signal PRRs, Toll-like receptors (TLRs). Despite the fact that fundamental research of PRR molecular biology is far from complete, there are an increasing number of arguments confirming the important role of this system in regulating the initial stages of the adaptive immune response, as well as in the formation of autoimmune and allergic diseases. Long duration isolation is widely used by NASA as an analog for space flight with previous missions including several Antarctic bases, an undersea research station (NEEMO), and other isolation chambers. ‘SIRIUS’ is a multi-compartment pressurized facility at the IMBP in Moscow, Russia, in which subjects will spend 8 months executing tasks similar to those performed by astronauts in space. Prolonged isolation studies like SIRIUS replicate many of the influences expected to occur during long duration spaceflight missions including isolation, stress, confinement, and living in remote conditions. The immune study to be performed on the upcoming SIRIUS mission is being led by Dr. Sergey Ponomarev at the Institute of Biomedical Problems in Moscow, Russia. The NASA JSC Immunology lab will provide analysis of immune cell function, serum cytokines and stress hormones, and salivary cortisol, cytokines, and viruses. This study will be conducted with SIRIUS subjects under the auspices of the parent program. The goal of the study is to evaluate the effect of the 8-month isolation mission on components of human innate immunity at the molecular and cellular level. Successful implementation and completion of this project will provide a unique assortment of new data, significantly expanding the current understanding of the molecular and cellular changes in TLRs during long-term isolation. We hypothesize that mission-like isolation in the Russian NEK facility, consisting of circadian misalignment, isolation, stress, and ‘station lifestyle’, will result in a pattern of immune dysregulation similar to that observed in astronauts onboard ISS. This pattern of alterations can be summarized as phenotypic changes (altered distribution of peripheral cytotoxic, central memory, CD8+ T cell subsets), reductions in T cell function, alterations in plasma cytokine profiles (increased inflammatory and certain chemokines), and reductions in mitogen stimulated cytokine profiles (spans Th1, Th2, Th17). We further hypothesize that these immune changes will correlate with the reactivation of latent herpesviruses (which persists during orbital flight), to be used as measurable adverse clinical manifestation or with other observed symptomology. The SIRIUS-21 mission began in November of 2021 and successfully concluded with the crew emerging in July of 2022. Currently, the logistics of shipping the samples from Russia to the United States is being organized.

Cody L Gutierrez↗
NASA NTRS2000

Viral carcinogenesis: revelation of molecular mechanisms and etiology of human disease

The RNA and DNA tumor viruses have made fundamental contributions to two major areas of cancer research. Viruses were vital, first, to the discovery and analysis of cellular growth control pathways and the synthesis of current concepts of cancer biology and, second, to the recognition of the etiology of some human cancers. Transforming retroviruses carry oncogenes derived from cellular genes that are involved in mitogenic signalling and growth control. DNA tumor viruses encode oncogenes of viral origin that are essential for viral replication and cell transformation; viral oncoproteins complex with cellular proteins to stimulate cell cycle progression and led to the discovery of tumor suppressors. Viral systems support the concept that cancer development occurs by the accumulation of multiple cooperating events. Viruses are now accepted as bona fide etiologic factors of human cancer; these include hepatitis B virus, Epstein-Barr virus, human papillomaviruses, human T-cell leukemia virus type I and hepatitis C virus, plus several candidate human cancer viruses. It is estimated that 15% of all human tumors worldwide are caused by viruses. The infectious nature of viruses distinguishes them from all other cancer-causing factors; tumor viruses establish long-term persistent infections in humans, with cancer an accidental side effect of viral replication strategies. Viruses are usually not complete carcinogens, and the known human cancer viruses display different roles in transformation. Many years may pass between initial infection and tumor appearance and most infected individuals do not develop cancer, although immunocompromised individuals are at elevated risk of viral-associated cancers. Variable factors that influence viral carcinogenesis are reviewed, including possible synergy between viruses and environmental cofactors. The difficulties in establishing an etiologic role for a virus in human cancer are discussed, as well as the different approaches that proved viral links to cancer. Future directions for tumor virus studies are considered.

NASA Program Biomedical Research and Countermeasur↗
NASA NTRS1996

Characterization of the proteins comprising the integral matrix of Strongylocentrotus purpuratus embryonic spicules

In the present study, we enumerate and characterize the proteins that comprise the integral spicule matrix of the Strongylocentrotus purpuratus embryo. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis of [35S]methionine radiolabeled spicule matrix proteins reveals that there are 12 strongly radiolabeled spicule matrix proteins and approximately three dozen less strongly radiolabeled spicule matrix proteins. The majority of the proteins have acidic isoelectric points; however, there are several spicule matrix proteins that have more alkaline isoelectric points. Western blotting analysis indicates that SM50 is the spicule matrix protein with the most alkaline isoelectric point. In addition, two distinct SM30 proteins are identified in embryonic spicules, and they have apparent molecular masses of approximately 43 and 46 kDa. Comparisons between embryonic spicule matrix proteins and adult spine integral matrix proteins suggest that the embryonic 43-kDa SM30 protein is an embryonic isoform of SM30. An adult 49-kDa spine matrix protein is also identified as a possible adult isoform of SM30. Analysis of the SM30 amino acid sequences indicates that a portion of SM30 proteins is very similar to the carbohydrate recognition domain of C-type lectin proteins.

Non-NASA Center↗