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Survival under space vacuum--biochemical aspects.

K Dose1

  • 1Institute for Biochemistry, Johannes-Gutenberg-University, Mainz, FRG.

Advances in Space Research : the Official Journal of the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR)
|January 1, 1986
PubMed
Summary

Vacuum exposure dehydrates organisms, halting metabolism and altering DNA structure. Some hardy organisms like bacterial spores survive, but experience irreversible DNA damage and mutations due to dehydration reactions.

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Area of Science:

  • Astrobiology
  • Biochemistry
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Vacuum exposure causes significant water removal, disrupting cellular structures like membranes and proteins.
  • Metabolic activity halts, and DNA structure changes, favoring the A-form, due to dehydration.
  • Certain organisms, such as bacterial spores and fungal conidia, exhibit remarkable survival in vacuum conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effects of vacuum exposure on biological matter, focusing on irreversible alterations in surviving organisms.
  • To explore the underlying mechanisms of vacuum-induced damage, particularly dehydration reactions.
  • To quantify the rate of specific dehydration reactions using a model system.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of cellular and molecular changes in organisms exposed to vacuum.
  • Utilizing a model system involving the dehydration of serine under vacuum conditions.
  • Quantifying the conversion of serine to pyruvic acid after vacuum exposure and rehydration.

Main Results:

  • Vacuum exposure leads to irreversible changes in surviving organisms, including increased DNA-protein crosslinking and evident mutations.
  • The dehydration of serine in a vacuum serves as a model for vacuum-induced chemical reactions.
  • Approximately 3 in 100,000 serine molecules converted to pyruvic acid after 1 week at 55°C and 10⁻⁶ Torr, with a lower rate in dry Argon.

Conclusions:

  • Vacuum exposure induces complex, potentially irreversible alterations in organisms, even those adapted to dryness.
  • Dehydration reactions, though slow, are implicated in vacuum-induced molecular damage.
  • Further research is needed to elucidate the precise mechanisms and repair processes for vacuum-induced DNA alterations.

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