Synergistic effects of hypergravity and immune challenge on the zebrafish larval transcriptome
- 1Institute of Marine Sciences (ICM-CSIC)
Abstract
The transcriptomic interaction between altered gravity and innate immunity remains largely unexplored. In this study, we established a novel dual-stress model combining 3g hypergravity with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) immune challenge in 5 days post-fertilization (dpf) zebrafish (Danio rerio) larvae. RNA sequencing revealed that exposure to hypergravity alone induced no differentially expressed genes (DEGs), indicating a remarkable transcriptional resilience. In contrast, the addition of an immune challenge under hypergravity conditions triggered a substantial transcriptomic response involving 2,706 DEGs. Functional enrichment analyses identified significant alterations in pathways related to immune function, development, and circadian regulation. Targeted qPCR analyses further validated the expression patterns of selected genes. These findings suggest that while zebrafish larvae can effectively tolerate hypergravity alone, the combination of gravitational and immune stressors elicits profound molecular responses. This study provides new insights into the interplay between altered gravity and innate immunity using an animal model, contributing to future strategies aimed at safeguarding astronaut health and supporting space-based aquaculture systems.
Related
- Regenerative epithelial spike cells instruct immune niche homeostasis in zebrafish fin epidermis
- Sexual dimorphism in adult zebrafish marrows regulates blood cell composition and immune response
- Dietary fibre responses emerge through host-dietary regime interplay: Apple pectin modulates immune reactivity in adult zebrafish
- Immunomodulatory Effects of Cistanche deserticola Polysaccharides on LPS-Induced Immune Damage in RAW264.7 Macrophages with Transcriptome Analysis.
- Transcriptome-wide analysis of alternative splicing in women with fibromyalgia highlights GNLY as an immune candidate
BibTeX
@misc{mitsopoulou2026synergistic,
title = {{Synergistic effects of hypergravity and immune challenge on the zebrafish larval transcriptome}},
author = {M. MITSOPOULOU and E. Casals and A. Esteve-Codina and L. Ribas},
howpublished = {bioRxiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.64898/2026.09.30.755701},
url = {https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.30.755701v1},
note = {CC BY-NC},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Synergistic effects of hypergravity and immune challenge on the zebrafish larval transcriptome
AU - M. MITSOPOULOU
AU - E. Casals
AU - A. Esteve-Codina
AU - L. Ribas
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/30
PB - bioRxiv
DO - 10.64898/2026.09.30.755701
UR - https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.30.755701v1
AB - The transcriptomic interaction between altered gravity and innate immunity remains largely unexplored. In this study, we established a novel dual-stress model combining 3g hypergravity with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) immune challenge in 5 days post-fertilization (dpf) zebrafish (Danio rerio) larvae. RNA sequencing revealed that exposure to hypergravity alone induced no differentially expressed genes (DEGs), indicating a remarkable transcriptional resilience. In contrast, the addition of an immune challenge under hypergravity conditions triggered a substantial transcriptomic response involving 2,706 DEGs. Functional enrichment analyses identified significant alterations in pathways related to immune function, development, and circadian regulation. Targeted qPCR analyses further validated the expression patterns of selected genes. These findings suggest that while zebrafish larvae can effectively tolerate hypergravity alone, the combination of gravitational and immune stressors elicits profound molecular responses. This study provides new insights into the interplay between altered gravity and innate immunity using an animal model, contributing to future strategies aimed at safeguarding astronaut health and supporting space-based aquaculture systems.
ER -