Survival and proliferation characteristics of the microalga Chlamydomonas sp. ICE-L after hypergravitational stress pretreatment

Seeking extraterrestrial life, transferring between planets, even migrating to other planets attracts more and more attention of public and scientists. However, to make it clear for the ability to survive the forces studies is prerequisite to enable the speculations by natural means. Gravity is a critical force involved in all the life on Earth and, possibly, others planets. Organisms have been grown in microgravity habitats and in centrifuges to characterize the biological response to a range of gravitational forces and radiation levels in space and on Earth. However, little is known about the profiles of eukaryotic life under conditions of hyperacceleration attributable to extreme gravities. In this study, a eukaryotic extremophile, the Antarctic green microalga Chlamydomonas sp. ICE-L, showed amazing proliferation capacity during and after hypergravitational stress for 30 min to 48 h at 110,200, 423,400, and 670,800g. These extreme gravities also had profound effects on viability, reproduction rate, photosynthesis efficiency, and gene transcriptional expression of this microalga. Most notably, all three supergravities efficiently stimulated algal cell division, but the greater the centrifugal force and the longer the duration of treatment, the lower the viable rate and breeding potential of samples in the following incubation. These results illustrated Chlamydomonas sp. ICE-L is a useful eukaryotic model system candidate for space research. Further studies could provide new insight into the physical limits of life and its evolution and enhance the possibility for interstellar space travel and the quest for extraterrestrial life according to panspermia theory. Also, it indicated that life come from the outer space is not always prokaryotes but may be eukaryotes.