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Simulated weightlessness changes the cytoskeleton and extracellular matrix proteins in papillary thyroid carcinoma cells

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Abstract

Studies of astronauts, experimental animals, and cells have shown that, after spaceflights, the function of the thyroid is altered by low-gravity conditions. The objective of this study was to investigate the cytoskeleton and extracellular matrix (ECM) protein synthesis of papillary thyroid cancer cells grown under zero g. We investigated alterations of ONCO-DG 1 cells exposed to simulated microgravity on a three-dimensional random-positioning machine (clinostat) for 30 min, 24 h, 48 h, 72 h, and 120 h (n=6, each group). ONCO-DG 1 cells grown under microgravity exhibited early alterations of the cytoskeleton and formed multicellular spheroids. The cytoskeleton was disintegrated, and nuclei showed morphological signs of apoptosis after 30 min. At this time, vimentin was increased. Vimentin and cytokeratin were highly disorganized, and microtubules (α–tubulin) did not display their typical radial array. After 48 h, the cytoskeletal changes were nearly reversed. The formation of multicellular spheroids continued. In parallel, the accumulation of ECM components, such as collagen types I and III, fibronectin, chondroitin sulfate, osteopontin, and CD44, increased. The levels of both transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGF-β1) and TGF-β receptor type II proteins were elevated from 24 h until 120 h clinorotation. Gene expression of TGF-β1 was clearly enhanced during culture under zero g. The amount of E-cadherin was enhanced time-dependently. We suggest that simulated weightlessness rapidly affects the cytoskeleton of papillary thyroid carcinoma cells and increases the amount of ECM proteins in a time-dependent manner.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Dr. Chris Talsness for language editing. We are grateful to Roderick MacLeod for providing the CGTH-W-1 cell line.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Trauma and Reconstructive Surgery, Charité University Medical School, Center of Space Medicine, Benjamin Franklin Medical Center, 12200, Berlin, Germany

    Manfred Infanger

  2. Institute of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Charité University Medical School, Center of Space Medicine, Campus Benjamin Franklin, 14195, Berlin, Germany

    Peter Kossmehl, Stephanie Kossmehl-Zorn, Markus Wehland, Reinhold Kreutz, Martin Paul & Daniela Grimm

  3. Institute of Anatomy, Charité University Medical School, Campus Benjamin Franklin, 14195, Berlin, Germany

    Mehdi Shakibaei

  4. Institute of Anatomy, Ludwig Maximilian University, 80336, Munich, Germany

    Mehdi Shakibaei

  5. Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, 82152, Martinsried, Germany

    Johann Bauer

  6. Space Biology Group, Technopark, ETH Zurich, 8005, Zurich, Switzerland

    Augusto Cogoli

  7. Department of Pathology, University of Udine, 33100, Udine, Italy

    Francesco Curcio

  8. Institute of Pharmacology, Charité University Medical School, Campus Benjamin Franklin, 14195, Berlin, Germany

    Alexander Oksche

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  1. Manfred Infanger
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  2. Peter Kossmehl
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  11. Martin Paul
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  12. Daniela Grimm
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Daniela Grimm.

Additional information

The work of Augusto Cogoli was supported by ETH Zurich, Switzerland.

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Infanger, M., Kossmehl, P., Shakibaei, M. et al. Simulated weightlessness changes the cytoskeleton and extracellular matrix proteins in papillary thyroid carcinoma cells. Cell Tissue Res 324, 267–277 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00441-005-0142-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00441-005-0142-8

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