人类对太空和其他天体的探索面临着许多挑战。地球上的物质和食物供应受到限制,现场资源利用(ISRU)是先决条件。提供几种服务的优秀候选人是单细胞藻类,例如太空批准的鞭毛动物Euglenagracilis。本文综述了这种单细胞生物的主要特征。眼虫已经暴露在各种平台上,这些平台改变了重力的影响,以分析其相应的重力依赖性生理和分子遗传反应。已经鉴定了gracilis中重力轴的感觉转导链。分子重量(机械)受体是机械感觉钙通道(TRP通道)。向内门控钙与几种钙调蛋白(CaM.2)之一特异性结合,which,反过来,激活腺苷酸环化酶.这种酶利用ATP产生cAMP,诱导蛋白激酶A,然后鞭毛中的运动蛋白磷酸化,启动航向更正,and,最后,导致引力轴。在长时间的太空任务中,大量的食物,氧气,水必须被带走,呼出的二氧化碳必须被去除。在这种情况下,E.gracilis是生物生命支持系统的优秀候选者,因为它通过光合作用产生氧气,吸收二氧化碳,甚至可以食用。眼虫的各种物种和突变体被用作商业食品的生产者,以及药物的来源,因为它产生许多维生素,含有大量的微量元素,合成膳食蛋白质,脂质,和储备分子paramylon。眼虫有消炎药,-氧化剂,和-肥胖属性。
Human exploration of space and other celestial bodies bears a multitude of challenges. The Earth-bound supply of material and food is restricted, and in situ resource utilisation (ISRU) is a prerequisite. Excellent candidates for delivering several services are unicellular algae, such as the space-approved flagellate Euglena gracilis. This review summarizes the main characteristics of this unicellular organism. Euglena has been exposed on various platforms that alter the impact of gravity to analyse its corresponding gravity-dependent physiological and molecular genetic responses. The sensory transduction chain of
gravitaxis in E. gracilis has been identified. The molecular gravi-(mechano-)receptors are mechanosensory calcium channels (TRP channels). The inward gated calcium binds specifically to one of several calmodulins (CaM.2), which, in turn, activates an adenylyl cyclase. This enzyme uses ATP to produce cAMP, which induces protein kinase A, followed by the phosphorylation of a motor protein in the flagellum, initiating a course correction, and, finally, resulting in
gravitaxis. During long space missions, a considerable amount of food, oxygen, and water has to be carried, and the exhaled carbon dioxide has to be removed. In this context, E. gracilis is an excellent candidate for biological life support systems, since it produces oxygen by photosynthesis, takes up carbon dioxide, and is even edible. Various species and mutants of Euglena are utilized as a producer of commercial food items, as well as a source of medicines, as it produces a number of vitamins, contains numerous trace elements, and synthesizes dietary proteins, lipids, and the reserve molecule paramylon. Euglena has anti-inflammatory, -oxidant, and -obesity properties.