Time-Dependent Expression Alterations of CDK1, MCM6, FBXO5, and EXO1 Cell Cycle Genes in a Colon Cancer Cell Line Under Simulated Microgravity
Archives of Advances in Biosciences,
Vol. 17 No. 1 (2026),
28 April 2026
,
Page 1-7
https://doi.org/10.22037/aab.v17i1.52561
Abstract
Introduction: Microgravity can affect gene expression in cancerous cells. The objective of this study is to evaluate the changes in the expression of CDK1, MCM6, FBXO5, and EXO1 genes in the LS180 colon cancer cell line under simulated microgravity.
Materials and Methods: The cells were incubated in control and simulated microgravity conditions in two time points – 24 hours and 72 hours. Then RNA was isolated from cells, converted into cDNA and amplified using real-time PCR technique in the presence of primers, while GAPDH served as a reference gene. All procedures were conducted in triplicates.
Results: The study's results demonstrated very clear differences in gene expression between the 24- and 72-hour incubation periods. There were upregulations (2.16-fold) of CDK1 at 24 hrs, and downregulations (0.08, 0.06, and 0.09-fold respectively) of MCM6, FBXO5, and EXO1. At 72 hrs, CDK1, MCM6, and FBXO5 all had increased levels of expression, with MCM6 and FBXO5 having the highest levels of upregulation (3.53). However, EXO1 remained downregulated (0.63-fold) at both time points.
Conclusion: The results indicate that microgravity has time-dependent effects on cell cycle and DNA replication gene expression in colon cancer cells. At 24 hours, the down regulation of MCM6 and FBXO5 would indicate an initial proliferative shock, and the subsequent up regulation of these two genes would indicate that cells are beginning to engage in compensatory adaptive responses at 72 hours. The continuation of EXO1 being downregulated could lead to potential increases in genomic instability. Thus, these results will provide new insight into cancer cell behavior under microgravity conditions, which may also aid in developing future therapeutic strategies.
- Simulated Microgravity, Colon Cancer, Gene Expression, Cell Cycle, Real-time PCR
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