CELL-PROLIFERATION INHIBITION IN REDUCED GRAVITY

Extended durations of spaceflight have been shown to be deleterious on an organismic level; however, mechanisms underlying cellular sensitiv ity to the gravitational environment remain to be elucidated. The majo rity of the gravitational studies to date indicates that cell regulato ry pathways may be influenced by their gravitational environment. Stil l, few cell biology experiments have been performed in space flight an d even fewer experiments have been repeated on subsequent flights. Wit h flight opportunities on STS-50, 54, and 57, Sf9 cells were flown in the BioServe Fluids Processing Apparatus and cell proliferation was me asured with and without exposure to a cell regulatory sialoglycopeptid e (CeReS) inhibitor. Results from these flights indicate that the Sf9 cells grew comparable to ground controls, that the CeReS inhibitor bou nd to its specific receptor, and that its signal transduction cascade was not gravity sensitive. (C) 1994 Academic Press, Inc.