<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>Spaceflight has a unique set of abiotic conditions to which plants respond by orchestrating genome-wide alterations to their transcriptome. The methods for preserving plants for RNA analysis are well-established and proven over multiple missions, but, methods for investigating the possible epigenetic mechanisms that may contribute to the transcriptome alteration are not well-developed for the confining limitations of the International Space Station (ISS). Currently, the methods used to isolate genomic DNA and to perform epigenetic analyses are ideal for frozen plants, as opposed to plants stored in RNAlater®—a high salt solution that chemically suspends all cellular activity and is typically used on the ISS. Therefore, we developed a method for extracting high-quality genomic DNA suitable for epigenetic analysis from <italic>Arabidopsis thaliana</italic> (Arabidopsis) plants that were preserved with the current preservation system aboard the ISS—fixation in RNAlater® using Kennedy Space Center Fixation Tubes (KFTs).</p></abstract>

Spaceflight has a unique set of abiotic conditions to which plants respond by orchestrating genome-wide alterations to their transcriptome. The methods for preserving plants for RNA analysis are well-established and proven over multiple missions, but, methods for investigating the possible epigenetic mechanisms that may contribute to the transcriptome alteration are not well-developed for the confining limitations of the International Space Station (ISS). Currently, the methods used to isolate genomic DNA and to perform epigenetic analyses are ideal for frozen plants, as opposed to plants stored in RNAlater®—a high salt solution that chemically suspends all cellular activity and is typically used on the ISS. Therefore, we developed a method for extracting high-quality genomic DNA suitable for epigenetic analysis from Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis) plants that were preserved with the current preservation system aboard the ISS—fixation in RNAlater® using Kennedy Space Center Fixation Tubes (KFTs).

Enabling the Spaceflight Methylome: DNA Isolated from Plant Tissues Preserved in RNAlater<sup>®</sup> Is Suitable for Bisulfite PCR Assay of Genome Methylation

Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Program

Interdisciplinary Center for Biotechnology

Gravitational and Space Research

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Enabling the Spaceflight Methylome: DNA Isolated from Plant Tissues Preserved in RNAlater Is Suitable for Bisulfite PCR Assay of Genome Methylation

Spaceflight has a unique set of abiotic conditions to which plants respond by orchestrating genome-wide alterations to their transcriptome. The methods for...

Enabling the Spaceflight Methylome: DNA Isolated from Plant Tissues Preserved in RNAlater^® Is Suitable for Bisulfite PCR Assay of Genome Methylation

Article Category: Research Article

Published Online: Jul 18, 2020

Page range: 28 - 37

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/gsr-2016-0010

Keywords
RNAlater®, DNA Methylation, Bisulfite, International Space Station

© 2020 Collin E. LeFrois et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Enabling the Spaceflight Methylome: DNA Isolated from Plant Tissues Preserved in RNAlater® Is Suitable for Bisulfite PCR Assay of Genome Methylation

Article Category: Research Article

Published Online: Jul 18, 2020

Page range: 28 - 37

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/gsr-2016-0010

KeywordsRNAlater®, DNA Methylation, Bisulfite, International Space Station

© 2020 Collin E. LeFrois et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Enabling the Spaceflight Methylome: DNA Isolated from Plant Tissues Preserved in RNAlater^® Is Suitable for Bisulfite PCR Assay of Genome Methylation

Keywords
RNAlater®, DNA Methylation, Bisulfite, International Space Station