微重力对细菌致病性的影响

Microgravity effects on pathogenicity of bacteria

微重力是太空飞行中重要的环境影响因素之一。研究发现空间站和航天飞行器上可检出多种细菌。空间环境或模拟微重力会对大肠埃希菌、沙门菌、铜绿假单胞菌等条件致病菌产生影响,导致其在毒力、生物被膜和耐药性等方面发生改变。引发前述变化的机制尚不明确,但业已证明RNA结合蛋白Hfq的调控与空间环境或模拟微重力所致的多种基因变化有关,而空间环境或模拟微重力所致的细菌致病性增加可能会影响宇航员的健康。本文就微重力对细菌致病性的影响及其机制作一综述,以期为维护航天飞行中宇航员的健康和治疗感染性疾病提供思路。

Microgravity is one of the important environmental conditions during spaceflight.A series of studies have shown that many kinds of bacteria could be detected in space station and space shuttle.Space environment or simulated microgravity may throw a certain influence on those opportunistic pathogens and lead to some changes on their virulence,biofilm formation and drug tolerance.The mechanism of bacteria response to space environment or simulated microgravity has not been defined.However,the conserved RNA-binding protein Hfq has been identified as a likely global regulator involved in the bacteria response to this environment.In addition,microgravity effects on bacterial pathogenicity may threaten astronauts＇ health.The present paper will focus on microgravity-induced alterations of pathogenicity and relative mechanism in various opportunistic pathogens.